Chinese New Year Celebration in Iloilo City this week

Tsinoy community in Iloilo City has lined-up several activities this week to celebrate Chinese New Year, signalling the start of the Year of the Horse on Friday. This year’s activities, in line with their 12th year Chinese New Year celebration, is hosted by Iloilo Chinese-Filipino Cultural Association (ICFCA) led by its chairman Felipe Uygongco of La Filipina Uygongco Corporation. Uygongco said they prepared week-long events prior to the highlight celebration on Friday. [hit the jump to check out the skeds and continue]

Starting on Tuesday around 4:00 p.m., there will be a grand opening of the Iloilo City Chinese New Year 2014 celebration followed by photo exhibit at SM City Event Center in Mandurriao district here. Feng shui expert Marites Allen will also give her horse forecast. Several Chinese schools will be visiting public schools in the city as part of its public interaction every new year.

On Wednesday at 9:00 a.m., Hua Siong College of Iloilo will visit Jalandoni Memorial National High School while Sun Yat Sen High School will also visit Mandurriao National High School at 10:00 a.m.

On the following day, Thursday, the Iloilo Scholastic Academy will visit Barrio Obrero National High School at 9:00 a.m. while Iloilo Scholastic Academy will have its mall show at 4:00 p.m. at the SM City Event Center.

During the highlight event on Friday, there will be a Chinese New Year Mass at Sta. Maria Parish at 8:00 a.m., followed by HSCI Lion and Dragon Dance at 10:00 a.m. at the SM City and festival luncheon banquet sponsored by the Iloilo City government at the Amigo Terrace Hotel at lunch time.

At 1:00 p.m. of the same day, the Chinese New Year food festival will start along Chinatown street at Iznart Extension Street followed by a grand parade at exactly 3:30 p.m. wherein TV actress Kim Chiu will join the parade from Bonifacio Drive going to streets of J.M. Basa, Aldeguer and Iznart wherein the grand cultural show will start at 5:00 p.m.

Spectators will also witness the world class pyrotechnics display sponsored by SM group of companies after the cultural show.

On Saturday afternoon, there will be another mall show “Synergy” followed by fashion show of ethnic tribe of ancient China including Eva Pooh show at SM City.

On Sunday morning, SYSHS will represent Lion and Dragon Dance and in the afternoon, a mall show “Wonder Steps” also at SM City.

The last activity-related event is on February 15 wherein there will be a competition for Tinagan Martial Arts/Wushu.

Uygongco said around 12, 000 Filipino-Chinese are now living in the city of which, majority of them are engaged into retail businesses. The chairman added they have strengthened strong public private partnership (PPP) with the city government as they actively participating and support all the programs of the government especially by paying right taxes.

City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog thanked the Chinese-Filipino businessmen for helping the city in so many ways especially by generating more jobs, inviting more investors and helping the economic industry.(IMT)