Marcos calls for compassion and solidarity beyond Eid'l Fitr celebrations

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. on Saturday urged Filipinos to practice the values of compassion, humility, and solidarity beyond the season of Ramadan and Eid'l Fitr "to build a Bagong Pilipinas."

"In the name of Allah, the Most Just and the Most Merciful, I join our Muslim Filipino brothers and sisters here at home and across the world in the solemn and joyous celebration of Eid'l Fitr. Today marks the culmination of Ramadan, a month of prayer, fasting, reflection, and generosity," Marcos said in a statement.

"It reminds us that the deepest joys are often those earned through sacrifice, and that discipline in faith strengthens not only the individual, but the entire community. The virtues nurtured during this sacred month — compassion, humility, patience, and charity — must not end with the breaking of the fast. They must travel beyond the self," he said.

"They must strengthen families, restore hope in communities, and remind us that a nation is built not only through laws and institutions, but through people who choose kindness, responsibility, and solidarity with one another," the president added.

Marcos said Eid'l Fitr reminds Filipinos "of a truth long lived by our Muslim brothers and sisters."

"We see it in homes that make space for others, in acts of charity that restore dignity, and in communities that endure hardship with patience and grace. We see it in the quiet fidelity to duty even when no one is watching. These are the virtues that preserve peace in our neighborhoods, sustain trust in our communities, and keep hope alive in difficult times. That is why, in honoring this day, we also uphold a tradition of moral steadiness that helps keep our nation humane, united, and worthy of the aspirations of its people," he said.

"May the Eid bring comfort to those who carry heavy burdens, renewed strength to those who serve, and joy to every Filipino home. May it deepen understanding across faiths and cultures and continue to unite us in our shared aspiration to build a Bagong Pilipinas where dignity is upheld, opportunity reaches every Filipino, and peace flourishes through justice and mutual respect. Eid Mubarak," Marcos said.

Eid’l Fitr is celebrated by the Muslim world for three days after the end of Ramadan, Islam’s holy month, which calls for spiritual reflection through praying, fasting, and abstaining from sinful behavior.

Ramadan started on February 19.

Eid'l Fitr is celebrated this year by Filipino Muslims on Saturday, March 21, after the Shawwal or crescent moon was not sighted on Thursday evening, the Bangsamoro Mufti announced.

Muslims in the country thus extended their fast for one more day to complete the 30 days of Ramadan.

“By the authority vested in me as Bangsamoro mufti, I, Abdulrauf Guialani, hereby announce that the crescent moon was not sighted today. Therefore, Eid’l Fitr and the first day of Shawwal will be on Saturday, March 21, 2026, In Shaa Allah,” Sheikh Guialani said in a statement.

Marcos has declared March 20, 2026, a regular holiday across the country in observance of Eid’l Fitr. —KG, GMA Integrated News