Palace declares Nov 7 as regular non-working holiday

Malacañang has declared November 7 (Monday) as a regular non-working holiday in celebration of the Eidul Adha or Feast of Sacrifice, one of the major religious feasts in Islam. Released on Friday, the declaration is contained in Proclamation 276, which President Benigno Aquino III signed on October 20. Under the proclamation, the date of the festival based on the declaration made by Saudi Arabia’s highest religious body is November 6, 2011. The Philippine’s National Commission on Muslim Filipinos recommended that the observance of Eidul Adha be on November 7, 2011 and the Eidul Adha prayer on November 6, 2011. Eidul Adha is the start of the Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca. The dates of Islamic holidays have been determined in accordance with the Islamic calendar (lunar calendar), or upon Islamic astronomical calculations, whichever is possible or convenient. The President earlier appealed to Saudi King Abdullah Asis Al-Saud to provide 1,100 more Hajj visas to Filipinos wanting to go to Mecca. Aquino earlier declared October 31, a special non-working holiday, under Proclamation 265, to give Filipinos time to observe All Saints’ Day. — LBG, GMA News