THE 20th City Council approved the temporary road closure on Roxas Avenue for the centralized Eidl Fitr prayer in Davao City, which was proposed by Councilor Conrado Baluran during the council session on Tuesday morning, March 25, 2025, at the Sanguniang Panlungsod.
Under the ordinance, the road closure will take effect either on March 30 or 31, depending on the result of the moon sighting.
Baluran, who chairs the committee on transportation and communications, said the temporary road closure will affect Roxas Avenue, from Marco Polo down to Padre Gomez Street, from 3 a.m. to 9 a.m.
“Temporary partial road closure to vehicular traffic, the street of Roxas Avenue from Marco Polo to Padre Gomez on March 30 or March 31, 2025,” the ordinance read.
The request for the road closure was in line with the request of Davao City Centralized Eid Prayer Council President Mohammad Pasigan for the celebration of the centralized Eidl Fitr prayer.
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., through Proclamation No. 839, declared April 1 a nationwide regular holiday in observance of Eid’l Fitr through the recommendation of the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF), which had earlier proposed it to be March 31.
“In order to bring the religious and cultural significance of the Eid’l Fitr to the fore of national consciousness and to allow the entire Filipino nation to join their Muslim brothers and sisters in peace and harmony in the observance and celebration of Eid’l Fitr, it is necessary to declare April 1, 2025, Tuesday, a regular holiday throughout the country,” Marcos said in the proclamation.
To recall, the Davao City Muslim Affairs Office (DCMAO), Madrasah Comprehensive Development and Promotion Unit (MCDPU), and National Commission on Muslim Filipinos-Davao Region have formed the Davao City Centralized Eid Prayer Council, composed of 15 Muslim leaders.
It was established to oversee the smooth observance of Eid’l Adha, which marks the start of the fasting month, and Eid’l Fitr, which signifies its end.
In Islamic tradition, the start of Ramadan is determined by moon-sighting. The ninth month of the Islamic calendar, Ramadan is a sacred period of fasting, prayer, and spiritual reflection for Muslims worldwide.
However, those physically or mentally unable to fast, including pregnant and breastfeeding women, the elderly, and those with health conditions, are exempt from fasting.
Eid’l Fitr commemorates the end of the fasting month of Ramadan. RGP