MANILA, Philippines -- A three-day Eid’l Fitr festival showcasing the rich history of Muslims here in the country will be held early next month at the SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City.

Amina Rasul-Bernardo, president of the Philippine Center for Islam and Democracy (PCID) and managing trustee of the Masbassa Kita Foundation Inc., said the three-day festival, which will run from September 2 to 4, will be attended by high-ranking members of the government and the Muslim community with Vice President Jejomar Binay as the guest-of-honor and speaker during the opening ceremonies.

She said the three-day festival will be organized by the Magbassa Kita Foundation Inc. (MFKI), with the support of the Department of Tourism (DoT), the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), and the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP).

Rasul-Bernardo said the three-day festival will have the following components – an art exhibit of works by the first and only Muslim National Artist for Visual Arts, Abdulmari Imao, and the young artist he has inspired, country displays of the different Islamic embassies in the Philippines, a trade fair of Muslim and Mindanao products as well as showcases of local governments and institutions working on peace and development, especially in Mindanao, and a cultural presentation.

Rasul-Bernardo said the Eid’l Festival, which is the Feast of the Breaking of the Fast and signals the end of Ramadan, supports President Aquino’s peace and development efforts by way of a better understanding and appreciation among Filipinos of ethnic, racial and religious diversity in the country, showcasing the richness and diversity of the cultural heritage of Muslims in the Philippines, forging stronger social, economic and cultural partnership between Muslims and non-Muslims, and creating a positive environment of mutual trust and confidence among Muslims and non-Muslims. (Francis T. Wakefield)