Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez on Monday joined the Muslim community in the observance of the holy month of Ramadan.
“As families across the Philippines and the world begin the observance of Ramadan, I want to extend my deepest and most heartfelt greetings to our Muslim brothers and sisters embarking on this sacred month,” Romualdez, leader of the 310-strong House of Representatives, said.
Romualdez said Ramadan holds a special significance, a time for introspection, renewal, and peace. “It is a period that calls for deep reflection, prayer, and community. On a personal note, I have been profoundly moved by the dedication and commitment I have witnessed in the Filipino Muslim community during this holy time. Your faith and devotion inspire a sense of unity and compassion that is truly admirable,” the House chief said.
“This holy month is a reminder to us all, regardless of our faith, to pause and ponder on our lives, our actions, and how we can contribute to a better, more understanding world. In this time of global challenges, the message of Ramadan is more relevant than ever,” he stressed.
The House leadership, Romualdez said, is committed to uphold the rights and welfare of the Muslim community.
In Cotabato City, the Bangsamoro Grand Mufti Abdulraof Guialani has declared that the start of the Ramadan fasting month will be on Tuesday, March 12.
This developed as the crescent moon had not risen visible as of 8:00 p.m. Sunday, when a regional team of lunar observers officially reported to the Dharul-Ifta’ (House of Opinion) that they have not seen the moon from where they were stationed at several sites in the five-province Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
In his official declaration on Sunday evening, Mufti Guialani also
enumerated in his Arabic speech other countries that have also
declared Tuesday as their first day of fasting this year.
Other sources also named Australia, India, Oman, Indonesia and
Singapore, aside from the Philippines, as the countries whose Muslim residents will start fasting on Tuesday.
Fasting during Ramadan or ‘sawm’ is the fourth of the Five Pillars of
Islam. The other pillars are Declaration of Faith (shahada), Prayers
(salat), Donation to the Community (zakat), and Pilgrimage at the
Mecca (hajj).
The dawn-to-dusk Ramadan fasting is an absolute abstinence from
daytime in-take of foods and drinks. It is obligatory to male and
female Muslims from the age of puberty—except on menstrual days and for lactating mothers, among females, and for people with serious illness and physical incapacity.
The purification in Ramadan fasting also restrains married couples
from daytime intimate physical or sexual contact. With Nash B. Maulana