By Brian Campued
Malacañang has declared May 27, 2026 a regular holiday in observance of Eid al-Adha or the “Feast of Sacrifice” in Islam.
The announcement was made through Proclamation No. 1264, signed by Executive Secretary Ralph Recto, on behalf of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., on Thursday.
The proclamation follows Republic Act 9849, which declares the 10th day of Zhul Hijja, the 12th month of the Islamic calendar, as a national holiday with a movable date.
Based on the 1447 Hijrah Islamic Lunar Calendar, the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos has recommended May 27 as the date of observance of Eid al-Adha this year.
In a previous advisory, the Bangsamoro Darul-Ifta’, the Islamic advisory and religious guidance body in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), said the blessed month of Dhul-Hijjah 1447 AH commenced on May 18, with the observance of the Day of Arafah set on May 26 before the joyous celebration of Eid al-Adha.
The Darul-Ifta’ also called on the Muslim community to observe the sacred season through worship and good deeds.
“As Muslims around the world welcome these sacred days of devotion, sacrifice, and reflection, the Bangsamoro Darul-Ifta’ calls upon the Ummah to maximize this blessed season through sincere worship, prayers, fasting, charity, and acts of compassion and unity,” the advisory read.
Eid al-Adha is one of the two major Islamic feasts, alongside Eid al-Fitr or the “Feast of Breaking the Fast.”
During Eid al-Adha, Muslim families gather together to honor the devotion and obedience to Allah of Prophet Ibrahim, who, according to the Quran, was willing to sacrifice his own son before being stopped and provided with a lamb to sacrifice instead.
The celebration also marks the end of the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, one of the five pillars of Islam.
-jpv
