Manila: President Benigno Aquino issued an executive order declaring August 20 as a regular holiday, to celebrate Eid Al Fitr.

Aquino signed Proclamation 455 for the “cultural integration of all Filipinos”, said Malacanang, the presidential palace, adding it is a moveable holiday to fit the Islamic calendar.

It will also give Filipino Muslims a chance to observe their faith, the presidential palace added.

The majority of Filipinos belong to the Roman Catholic Church, following 400 years of Spanish colonisation from the 16th century to 1898.

The Philippine government and the formerly secessionist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) have been holding on and off peace talks since 1997.

They have vowed to sign a peace settlement by the end of this year, following agreements, in principle, to enlarge an existing Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) with Muslim-dominated villages, to pave the way for enhanced self-governance and sharing of earnings between local and national governments.

From 1992 to 1996, the Philippine government and the mainstream Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) forged a pro-autonomy peace settlement.

Malaysia, a member of the Organisation of Islamic Council (OIC), has been brokering the Philippine government and MILF peace talks. Another OIC member, Indonesia, helped the Philippine government and the MNLF forge a pro-autonomy peace settlement in 1996.

Earlier, President Aquino signed Proclamation No 295 which included lists of holidays for 2012, but the celebration of Eid Al Fitr was not included in that list.

At the time, the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) was urged to inform the Office of the President on which day Eid Al Fitr would fall.

In that proclamation, Aquino also declared August 21, a holiday, to mark the death anniversary of his father, the late Senator Benign Aquino.

Aquino’s father was assassinated by his military escorts at the service stairway of the China Airlines (CAL) plane when it landed at Manila’s international airport on August 21, 1983.

Aquino’s death sparked strong sentiment against former dictator Ferdinand Marcos which paved the way for his ouster in 1986.