photo courtesy of exploreiloilo.com
The third festival lined up in Iloilo City as the 2010 starts is the Iloilo Chinese New Year Celebration, after the renowned Dinagyang Festival and the Candelaria Fiesta of Jaro. It has been considered a festival because it showcases various events that makes it a weeklong celebration. It has been considered as the first Chinese new year celebration outside Metro Manila and biggest celebration in the Philippines, even bigger than in Manila’s Chinatown.
Colorful activities showcasing Chinese culture and traditions thru songs and dances ushers the year of the metal tiger as the Iloilo Filipino-Chinese community celebrates this antiquated tradition.
Below is the schedule of events for this weeklong celebration.
February 8 - Photo exhibit “Capturing Chinese New Year Celebration through Photographic Lens”, SM City Iloilo
February 9 – Hua Siong Kids on the Go, Iloilo Iloilo Central Commercial High School
February 10 – Cultural show, Iloilo Central Commercial High School
February 12 – Highlights
- Grand Parade and Cultural show, Iloilo City’s “Chinatown,” J.M. Basa Street to Iznart Street
- Food Festival
- Night market
- World Class Fireworks Display
February 13 – Cultural Show
February 14 – Lion and dragon dances and a parade of the 12 zodiac animals, SM City Iloilo
There are around 1,000 performers from various schools in the city that will participate in the parade and cultural show. The participating schools are: Sun Yat Sen High School, Iloilo Scholastic Academy, Ateneo de Iloilo–Sta. Maria Catholic School, Colegio del Sagrado Corazon de Jesus and Iloilo Central Commercial High School.
The exiting mayor, Jerry Trenas has a special gift to the Filipino-Chinese community of Iloilo. He will sign an executive order (EO) institutionalizing the celebration of Chinese New Year as an effective opportunity for the Filipino-Chinese and native Ilonggos to unite and cooperate.
Expected guests for this celebration are Dr. Alfonso Uy of the Filipino-Chinese Chamber, Mrs. Teresita Ang See of Kaisa Philippines, balladeer Jose Mari Chan, Department of Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano, and top Filipino-Chinese leaders from Cebu.
2 Comments on "Iloilo Chinese New Year Celebration 2010"
As a proud ILONGGO with a chinese decent im really looking forward for this year of the tiger’s celebration. i hope ILOILO CHINESE NEW YEAR will stil be the best among other lunar new yr celebration in the Philippines. i hope that the fil-chinese marker will be good landmark to be recognize not only in chinatown but a new landmark that we can be proud of both fil/ilonggos-chinese. i hope soon chinese characters will be visible on all chinese shops in chinatown. let us create a chinatown that is so alive, busy, prosperous and colorful. My ultimate dream is a Chinatown that will add up to ILOILO’s tourist attraction. KIONG HEI HUAT CHAY!
[Reply]
This year’s edition is expected to be the biggest as it is well supported by the DOT Region 6 and the City Government. Keong hee huat chye!!!Paraw Regatta is up next…
[Reply]