By Raymund F. Antonio  Vice President Ma. Leonor “Leni” Robredo on May 24, Sunday, enjoined the public to “embody the spirit” of Eid’l Fitr as Muslim communities nationwide celebrate the end of Ramadan. Vice President Leni Robredo
(Charlie Villegas, OVP / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN) Robredo, who greeted Filipino Muslims “Eid Mubarak,” an Arab term for “happy holiday,” cited how the holy month of Ramadan strengthened the linkages among Filipino Muslims in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. “May we realize that the many threads of our beliefs ultimately weave into the collective fabric of Filipino identity. May we all live in adherence to Eid’l Fitr’s message of inclusiveness and communal responsibility,” she said in her message. Malacañang declared May 25, Monday, a regular holiday in observance of Eid’l Fitr. This year’s celebration of the end of the month-long Ramadan came amid the country’s ongoing battle against the COVID-19 crisis. The Philippines now has 13,777 confirmed coronavirus cases, with 863 deaths and 3,177 recoveries. Robredo, in her Eid’l Fitr message, also cited the “compassion” shown by the Muslim community during the pandemic. “This is perhaps the first Ramadan in living memory when family and friends have not been able to gather for Iftar. Eid’l Fitr must now be spent in smaller groups, or for some, in solitary reflection,” she noted. But despite this, Robredo said, “we it in friends reaching out and checking on each other online during fasting, in Muslim business owners extending compassion to their staff, in leaders who advocate peace and put their constituents front and center in their agenda.”