May 13 a regular holiday
PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte has issued an order declaring May 13 a regular holiday in observance of the feast of Ramadan.
Filipino Muslims may celebrate the occasion as long as they observe health protocols amid a coronavirus pandemic, according to Proclamation 1142.
Several areas in the Mindanao region, where many Muslims live, have experienced a spike in virus infections in recent weeks.
A group of researchers from the University of the Philippines at the weekend said Cagayan de Oro and Zamboanga City were “areas of concern.”
Meanwhile, AkoBakwit Chairman Samira A. Gutoc-Tomawis in a Facebook Messenger chat said rebels and government troops should stop fighting in the Bangsamoro region and other areas in Mindanao during Ramadan.
State forces clashed with members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) in Datu Paglas in Maguindanao province last week. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza
