"Sionogan in Sulu began Eid al-Fitr celebrations early this week, following an ancestral calendar rather than waiting for the official moon sighting. Footage captured on Thursday shows villagers gathering at the Sionogan Mosque for prayers, exchanging greetings, and sharing communal meals. "In the ancient days, the start of counting is during 'kalag‑kalag, paghawan kubol namu' or cleaning the tombs and graves of our ancestors before the start of Ramadan; this is how our ancestors observed Ramadan," a resident said. "We pray that the war in the Middle East stops because there's an oil scarcity here, and all of us are affected and suffering,” added a second. The Sionogan tradition counts the end of Ramadan using methods passed down through generations, rather than relying on modern moon sightings. Most of the Philippines observes Eid based on the Shawwal crescent, making Eid on March 21. Local leaders said Sionogan's approach honours ancestral customs and ensures Muslims observe Ramadan according to their own timetable."