The recent Eid’l Fitr Festival was celebrated with art, music, and film at The Block, SM City North EDSA.
The three-day festivities at the Atrium of The Block featured a tribute to the late National Artist Dr. Abdulmari Imao through sculptures and dioramas by his son Toym. It also presented a display of Muslim weaves from Maguindanaon, Yakan, Tausog, and Sama; as well as a showcase of Muslim Clothing and Fashion.
Mall visitors also had a glimpse of Muslim culture through special performances by the Kontra-GaPi with founder Professor Pedro R. Abraham Jr. featuring traditional Muslim dances and music. Another highlight of the festivities was the special screening of multi awarded filmmaker Brillante Mendoza’s Thy Womb. The masterpiece, which has won many international awards, depicts life in beautiful Tawi-Tawi, where it was filmed.
Eid’l Fitr, the Festival of the Breaking of the Fast, marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan. This important event usually falls on the first day of Shawwal, the tenth month of the Islamic calendar. It’s a time of joy, forgiving, and thanksgiving among Muslims as they take the occasion to strengthen ties with family and friends, give gifts and alms, and feast together. Here in our country, Republic Act No. 9177 declared Eid’l Fitr a national holiday.
The event lays strong foundations for stronger social, economic, and cultural partnerships and creates a positive environment of mutual trust and confidence between Muslims and non-Muslims.
Spearheaded by the Magbassa Kita Foundation, Inc. (MKFI ) and the Philippine Center for Islam and Democracy (PCID) together with the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF), the holding of festivities in Manila is an excellent springboard to build a better understanding and appreciation among Filipinos of ethnic, racial, and religious diversity in the country.
The Eid’l Fitr Festival is one of the many exciting cultural events at SM City North EDSA.