Iloilo Chinese New Year To Showcase ‘Best Chinese Culture and Tradition’

By ALEX P. VIDAL

Officials of the Iloilo Chinese-Filipino Cultural Association vowed to showcase “the best Chinese culture and tradition” through songs, dances, and martial arts during the five-day 2008 Chinese New Year celebration in Plazoleta Gay, Iznart St., City Proper, Iloilo City on Feb. 6-10.
“This year, we will celebrate the Chinese New Year with a five-day activity, the first time that we will do this in six years (that we have been celebrating the Chinese New Year in Iloilo),” announced Dr. Roland L. Uy, chairman of the Iloilo Chinese-Filipino Cultural Association during a press conference held on January 22 at Days Hotel, Iloilo City.
“In China, Chinese New Year is celebrated in 15 days which is the beginning of Spring Festival,” he stressed.
They have invited Cebu-based Consul General He Shi Jing of the Chinese Consulate of the People’s Republic of China, Uy said, among other dignitaries from the People’s Republic of China.
According to Uy, they have stand-by generators during the parade, cultural show and night market just in case there will be power interruptions although most of their activities will be held inside Robinsons Place.

UNITY

Mayor Jerry Treñas said this year’s Chinese New Year “is a celebration of unity that we can find here.” The activities, he said, “are very nice example of private-government partnership.”
“Every year, we open new chapters in the celebration. We are very pleased to have a partnership with the Chinese-Filipino community,” Treñas added.
Dr. Carmen Santos, principal of Iloilo Central Commercial High School (ICCHS) and official of the association, said this year’s celebration “will be an experience of a lifetime because we are going to show the different features and splendor of China and the Beijing Olympics.”
“The event this year will be more spectacular,” declared Santos whose school will sponsor the exhibit from Feb. 6 to 10, including the ‘Pot-Pourri’, a Chinese festival of dances in the mall’s fountain area.
Meanwhile, Department of Tourism (DOT) regional director Edwin Trompeta dubbed as “tourism bonanza” or “golden week of tourism” the coming celebration of Chinese New Year.
“We are looking into the investment and tourism potentials the event will bring here when some 100 million Chinese tourists start to travel during the celebration,” Trompeta said.
Five (5) schools will participate in the five-day celebration which will be culminated with the display of world class pyrotechnics and live band performance. The schools are Iloilo Sun Yat Sen High School, ICCHS, Iloilo Scholastic Academy, Ateneo de Iloilo-SMCS, and Colegio del Sagrado Corazon de Jesus.
Also present during the press conference were association treasurer Lee Chuan, his assistant Francis Sio, auditor Tan Chengi and Fr. Manny Uy who stressed that they are going to share to the Ilonggos the Chinese ancestry during the celebration. /MP