Arroyo declares Nov. 27 and 28 as holidays

MANILA, Philippines - President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has declared November 27 and 28, 2009 as national non-working holidays. An article posted on government Web site said the declaration was in connection with the Filipino Muslims’ celebration of Eid Al-Adha or Feast of Sacrifice. The new holidays will allow more Filipino Muslims to go to Mecca in Saudi Arabia for a pilgrimage. The signing of the executive order was held Sunday at the Fairmont Hotel in Dubai and witnessed by some lawmakers in Mindanao. The new executive order is in addition to Republic Act 9177, which in 2005 declared the celebration of Eid al-Fitr as a national holiday. Eid al-Fitr marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan. Eid al-Adha, the second major Islamic festival, is celebrated by an estimated 1.6 billion Muslims all over the world, including the 10 million Muslim Filipinos in the country. The exact dates of the celebration are determined by Saudi Arabia’s highest religious body. The annual celebration of Eid al-Adha signifies the culmination of the Hajj or the annual pilgrimage to Mecca. The hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam. It is a journey that every adult Muslim must undertake at least once in life if physically and financially able to do so. - Aie Balagtas See, GMANews.TV