By Emme Rose Santiagudo
After Dinagyang, Iloilo City launched the biggest Chinese New Year celebration in the country on January 27, 2020 as it continues to recognize the contributions of the Filipino-Chinese community.
Mayor Jerry Treñas said the Filipino-Chinese community has been in the forefront of the economic development in the city.
“It is but fitting to celebrate it because we recognize the contributions of the Filipino-Chinese community,” he said in an interview on Monday.
Now on its 17th year, the Chinese New Year celebration in Iloilo City is the biggest celebration in the country, he added.
“The celebration in Iloilo is the biggest in the Philippine because ang gakatabo sa Manila sa Ongpin in Binondo lang ang gacelebrate, diri ya bilog nga siyudad. We can claim that title that we have the biggest celebration in the country,” he said.
For this year, the celebration centers on the strong unity of the Filipino and Chinese cultures with its theme, “Filipino-Chinese Community: Breaking Barriers and Building Bridges towards a United Iloilo Community”,
“We believe that Filipino and Chinese culture interacts. There has also been long-time friendship of the Filipino-Chinese community,” Ian Eric Pama, a member of the Chinese New Year Task Force said in a press conference on Wednesday, January 22.
According to Pama, the strong Filipino-Chinese Community in Iloilo City can be reflected to the increasing number of businesses owned by Filipino-Chinese businessmen crowding the Downtown area.
“As you can see, all the businesses in the downtown Area are almost owned by Filipino-Chinese businessmen. The celebration is also the way of the Chinese community to help the city government improve to the next level,” he added.
In return, these businesses are also helping the Ilonggos by providing employment.
“Civic organizations are joining hands in helping the Filipino-Chinese and also join hands in helping local Filpinos,” Dr. Felipe Uygongco, chairman of the 2020 Chinese New Year Task Force added.
Uygongco noted the growth in the Filipino-Chinese population in the metro which is now at around 12,000 to 13,000.
The celebration which will run from January 27 to February 2 kicked off on Monday with a Chinese Lantern Parade from the Iloilo Provincial Capitol to Iznart Street.
It was followed by the launching of the night market and food festival.
The highlight of Chinese New Year celebration happens on January 29 where there will be a grand parade, grand cultural show, and fireworks display.
