IN PHOTOS: Filipino Muslims celebrate Eid’l Fitr across the Philippines

MANILA, Philippines – The Muslim community in the Philippines is celebrating Eid’l Fitr, the end of Ramadan, on Saturday, March 21.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. declared Friday, March 20, a regular holiday for Eid’l Fitr. But since the crescent moon was not seen on the night of Thursday, March 19, Filipino Muslims moved their observation to Saturday instead.   

Eid’l Fitr, also known as the “Feast of the Breaking of the Fast,” is celebrated by Muslims around the world as a spiritual thanksgiving to Allah. Fasting during the sacred period of Ramadan is part of the Five Pillars of Islam, which are mandatory acts to be observed in Muslim life. 

BARMM CHIEF. BARMM Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua leads the ‘Takbir’ on the morning of March 21, 2026, at the Bangsamoro Government Center Grounds in Cotabato City. Photo courtesy of BARMM Office of the Chief Minister

In his message for the celebration, Marcos told Filipinos to embody compassion, humility, patience, and charity.

“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 President said. 

“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. 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,” he added.

SACRED. Hundreds of Muslims join BARMM Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua during the ‘Takbir’ in Cotabato City on March 21, 2026. Photo courtesy of BARMM Office of the Chief Minister

Meanwhile, Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua led the Takbir on Saturday morning at the Bangsamoro Government Center Grounds in Cotabato City.

RAMADAN. A child stands in the middle of a praying crowd during the Eid’l Fitr celebration at the Quezon Memorial Circle on March 21, 2026. Photo by Angie de Silva/Rappler

“The Takbir is a sacred Islamic chant recited before the Eid congregational prayer, glorifying God (Allahu Akbar) and expressing deep gratitude and reverence,” the BARMM Office of the Chief Minister said.

In Quezon City, Filipino muslim families also offered prayers at the Quezon Memorial Circle to mark the end of the sacred Ramadan.

COLORS. Muslim women wearing their colorful hijabs during the Eid’l Fitr celebration at the Quezon Memorial Circle on March 21. Photo by Angie de Silva/Rappler IN CEBU. Muslim families celebrate Eid’l Fitr at the Plaza Independencia in Cebu City on March 21, 2026. Photo by Jacqueline Hernandez/Rappler

Meanwhile, in Cebu City, Muslim families held their celebration at the Plaza Independencia.

FAITH. Muslim women show their devotion to Allah during the Eid’l Fitr celebration in Cebu City on March 21, 2026. Photo by Jacqueline Hernandez/Rappler

– Jairo Bolledo/Rappler.com