Bacolaodiat Festival to kick off Jan. 23
BACOLOD CITY -- Bacolod City Government along with the Bacolaodiat Festival Committee is now preparing a big Chinese New Year celebration known as "Bacolaodiat Festival", which will feature the best of the Chinese and Filipino cultures, scheduled to kick off on January 23-26, 2009.
This was confirmed yesterday by Bacolaodiat Festival Inc. President Leonito Lopue during a press conference along with Mayor Evelio Leonardia.
"Bacolaodiat Festival founded by Mayor Evelio Leonardia could be a big help to our economy, not only Masskara which most of us know, but this Festival which the Chinese community always supports here in the City of Bacolod," Lopue said.
Lopue said that this year's festival had a lot of refinement and unique celebration. Bacolaodiat Incorporated had chosen as festival's site the Bacolod Shopping Center, known as the Chinatown of Bacolod because of the great number of Chinese businessmen and residents in the area.
Bacolaodiat is derived from the words Bacolod and "Lao Diat", which is Fookien for Celebration and was first organized last 2006.
Lopue invited all Chinese and Filipino community to visit the Chopticks Alley along the streets of Narra and Tindalo starting on the 23rd. This food walk and night market will be lined up with colorful rolling carts of delicious Chinese food, souvenirs and art and crafts.
Street performers wearing attractive and glittery Chinese Costumes will surely entertain the crowd and add to the festive ambiance of the place.
Bacolaodiat Festival Event Director Marivic Rio said that on the 23rd of this Month at the Festival Site, they will put up a "Lantern Park" featuring a Symphony of Lights and Sparks. This will include a nightly display of illuminated colorful giants lanterns by local artists and city-wide synchronized fireworks show scored with music and drumbeats.
She added that on the 24th, ten dance groups will battle it out in the Lantern Street-dancing Competition. The competition will kick-off at 6:30 p.m. from SM Bacolod to the festival site. A total of P160,000 in cash prize is at stake. Mayor Evelio Leonardia said that once again we will experience the merging of two cultures of Chinese and Filipinos. This 4th Bacolaodiat Festival is organized by Bacolaodiat Inc. in cooperation with the City of Bacolod and Negros Tsinoy Inc.