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Ramadan 'is a month of reflection, faith, generosity, and fasting,' says an official of the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos
MANILA, Philippines – The Islamic fasting month of Ramadan will begin on Sunday, March 2, in the Philippines, after moonsighting committees across the country reported no sighting of the new moon.
Ramadan had been expected to start on Saturday, March 1, if the new moon — heralding a new month in the Islamic calendar — was sighted on Friday, February 28.
The religious leader of the Philippines’ autonomous Muslim region, Sheikh Abdulrauf Guialani, announced “that the crescent moon was not sighted today,” which means that Ramadan “will officially commence on Sunday, March 2, 2025.”
Guialani, the Bangsamoro Mufti, said this decision is based on moonsighting activities on Friday afternoon, February 28, until sunset, conducted by the Bangsamoro Darul-Ifta’ “through its authorized groups of moonsighters assigned to different strategic areas in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region and other parts of the country.”
One moonsighting activity was conducted at the Manila Baywalk by the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) in the National Capital Region (NCR). The regional director of NCMF-NCR, Dr. Dimapuno Datu-Ramos Jr., said moonsighting activities were conducted in 11 parts of the country, including Metro Manila.
Datu-Ramos said they conducted the moonsighting activity because it is part of how the Islamic tradition marks the days of the year.
UNITED IN FAITH. Muslim Filipinos gather at Manila Baywalk on February 28, 2025, for a moonsighting activity organized by the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos in the National Capital Region. Photo by Angie de Silva/RapplerIslam uses a lunar calendar, which is based on phases of the moon, unlike the commonly used solar calendar, which is based on the Earth’s position relative to the Sun.
The Islamic calendar is made up of 12 months, each of which is 29 or 30 days long. Because the number of days in a month vary, the length of the year varies as well – either 354 or 355 days, shorter than the 365 days in the solar calendar.
The name of this Islamic dating system is the Hijri calendar. It begins in the year 622 AD, when the Prophet Muhammad escaped persecution in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, to the city of Medina, which is around 338 kilometers away.
In contrast, the dating system now generally used around the world is called the Gregorian calendar, named after Pope Gregory XIII, who instituted this calendar in 1582 AD. The Gregorian calendar was an improvement of the Julian calendar, which was proposed by, and named after, Julius Caesar in 46 BC.
Holiest month
He then explained the importance of Ramadan in Islam.
During Ramadan, Muslims fast from food and drink, as well as sexual intercourse, from sunrise to sunset. They do this for 29 to 30 days, as part of the Five Pillars of Islam.
“Ramadan is very important because it is the holiest month of Muslims worldwide. It is a month of reflection, faith, generosity, and fasting,” Datu-Ramos told Rappler.
Emphasizing the importance of fasting, Datu-Ramos said fasting allows Muslims to experience the sufferings of the poor and understand the feeling of hunger on regular days.
Ramadan, however, is not only a month of fasting but also a time of highlighting the best of Filipino Muslim culture especially in night markets.
In the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao, the Bangsamoro Government Center, together with the Ministry of Trade, Investments and Tourism, officially opened the Ramadan Trade Fair on Friday.
Muslims and non-Muslims usually flock to this night market on all evenings of Ramadan, when Muslims are allowed to break their fast.
Local Moro delicacies and other halal meals are offered in different stalls of the night market. In Matanog, Maguindanao del Norte, there is a festival of light around the town hall and at the provincial boundary round ball for the whole month of Ramadan. International visitors and scholars are arriving for Islamic contests and activities during the month.
FAITH. Muslim Filipinos pray in the direction of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, at the Manila Baywalk shortly after sunset on February 28, 2025. Photo by Angie de Silva/Rappler Ustadz Hanif Sarip, an Islamic scholar who studied at the Jamiya Islamiya Madina in Saudi Arabia, told Rappler that it can be challenging to fulfill the obligations of Ramadan in many parts of predominantly Christian Philippines, outside the Bangsamoro region.
Sarip said, however, that Muslims ought to be steadfast in faith. “Fasting during Ramadan is special in this world and even in the afterlife,” the Islamic scholar explained. – with reports from Ferdinandh Cabrera/Rappler.com
