ILOILO City is celebrating Chinese New Year with a grand parade, to be participated by some 3,000 students, from Capitol to Chinatown in downtown on Wednesday, January 29, starting 3 p.m.
The Grand Cultural Show of dance and musical performances, with special guest singer Richard Poon, at Filipino-Chinese Friendship Arch in Plazoleta Gay, Iznart Street, will start at 5 p.m. It will be capped by a fireworks display.
The three-day Night Market and Food Festival with concert will run until midnight of Wednesday.
Hua Siong College of Iloilo Inc., in coordination with the City Government and Iloilo Festivals Foundation Inc., is hosting this year's festivities to welcome the Year of the Metal Rat.
Major Chinese schools Ateneo de Iloilo, Sun Yat Sen, and Iloilo Scholastic Academy are also participating in the event.
The celebration highlights the theme "Filipino-Chinese Community: Breaking Barriers and Building Bridges towards United Iloilo Community."
Now on its 17th year, the welcoming of the Lunar New year was initiated by Mayor Jerry P. Treñas in 2003.
The endeavor recognizes the significant contributions of big Filipino-Chinese community to the city's booming economy and general welfare of the Ilonggos.
The metropolis is home to some 13,000 Filipino-Chinese, said Dr. Felipe Uygongco, chairman of 2020 Chinese New Year Task Force. (PR)