EID’L ADHA – September 1 2017 Philippine holiday
(UPDATED, AUGUST 29 2017)
Later this week, Filipino Muslims will join the rest of the Islamic world in observing Eid’l Adha or their annual feast of sacrifice. Eid’l Adha will be a national holiday as mandated by Republic Act (RA) 9849, which was signed in 2009 by then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. The full text of RA 9849 can be read here.
Earlier today, Malacañang has released President Rodrigo Duterte’s Proclamation 297, designating September 1 2017 as a national holiday in observance of Eid’l Adha. This is in accordance to the date recommended by the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos.
The NCMF is the government agency tasked to determine the dates to which the holidays will fall based on their observasions on the phases of the moon as well as the Hijra or the Islamic calendar.
Eid’l Adha is one of the two Muslim holidays observed all over the country – the other one is Eid’l Fitr which was celebrated last June 26.
Here’s why we can be fairly certain that September 1 2017, Friday, will indeed be declared the holiday for Eid’l Adha. According to Al Jazeera, an international media outlet based in Qatar, Saudi Arabia’s Um al-Qura calendar already marks September 1 as the date for Eid al-Adha 2017 although this will only be confirmed once the High Judicial Court conducts a moon sighting this August 21.
The Khaleej Times, an English language newspaper in the United Arab Emirates, also reported this week that September 1 is the likely date for Eid’l Adha. Take note that some publications may also use Eidul Adha, Eid al-Adha, and Hari Raya Raji to refer to the said religious observance.
Eid’l Adha, according to RA 9849, has great significance because it is the tenth day in the month of Hajj or Islamic Pilgrimage to Mecca “wherein Muslims pay homage to Abraham’s supreme act of sacrifice and signifies mankind’s obedience to God.”
Please “like” The Filipino Scribe on Facebook!
About Author
