THE upcoming celebration of Eid Al-Fitr for the Muslim community in Davao City will be held along Roxas Avenue this weekend.
The Eid Al-Fitr, the Islam Festival of Breaking the Fast and marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan, is slated on Friday, April 21 if the Eid crescent moon is sighted the day before.
Alem Abdulrahman Caderao, executive program director of the Madrasah Comprehensive Development and Promotion Unit, said they expect around 5,000 people to join the unified prayer at Roxas Avenue.
Caderao said the last Eid Al-Fitr saw around 2,500 to 3,000 Muslims congregating for the prayer and celebration. This year, he said they expect the number to double, especially since there are fewer Covid-19 restrictions.
“Expected nato, mag doble pa ni kay mahibawan na nila (the Muslim community) kung asa na (We are expecting the number of people to double because they already know where the celebration would be). Siyempre, ang mga tao dili na mag duha-duha kay dili man siya private mosque, dili siya pang community lang or one tribe, pang tanan siya (They would not hesitate to go anymore because it’s not a private venue, it’s for everyone),” Caderao said during an interview with the Davao City Disaster Radio.
If the Eid crescent moon is not sighted on Thursday, April 20, the celebration of Eid Al-Fitr will commence on Saturday, April 22 but Samaon Buat, chief of Cultural Affairs Division of the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) in Davao said they are positive the moon will show up on time.
Caderao added that they will base on other neighboring Southeast Asian Countries that are also celebrating Eid Al-Fitr for the moon sighting if it isn’t sighted in the Philippines.
“The NCMF, we are monitoring the activities of the different Muslim communities. We are also monitoring the moon sighting so we can announce the end of the fasting," Buat told SunStar Davao in an interview.
Aside from the venue at Roxas Avenue, Buat said other Muslims will also celebrate in their own communities, mosques, or other plazas and open spaces.
“We are looking forward to celebrating unity, peace, and reconciliation, of course, for the Eid Al-Fitr," Buat said.