Chinese New Year Festival slated on Feb. 12
Ilonggos will once again be treated with Chinese songs and dances as well as cuisines as the Chinese-Filipino community here will celebrate its 8th Chinese New Year celebration.
Iloilo Chinese-Filipino Cultural Association secretary Monette Pama said 750 students from different schools here will delight the people with Chinese traditional songs and dances.
This year’s activity will be held at Iloilo City’s China town which is along Iznart Street. “The best way to celebrate the New Year festival is in the China town,” said Pama.
The association decided to celebrate the event back at old Calle Real after they have seen the disadvantages of holding it at the Iloilo Freedom Grandstand.
The cultural event was held at the Iloilo Freedom Grandstand in 2009. The organizer opted to hold it back at China town since spectators had a hard time viewing the cultural presentation.
Aside from the exhibits, grand parade and cultural presentation, there will also be a display of world class pyrotechnics on the evening of Feb. 12 at China town.
The food festival is an added event to the celebration. At present, there are 50 establishments which signified their intentions to join in the Chinese food festival organized by the Iloilo Hotels Resorts and Restaurant Association (IHRRA).
IHHRA president Happy Abenir said each participating kiosks is required to sell five Chinese cuisines. Though, they are also allowed to sell other kinds of foods not necessarily Chinese.
Abenir explained that the five cuisines for each kiosk would be enough to dramatize the celebration though they encourage them to sell predominantly Chinese.
She will also coordinate with the restaurants to flood the food festival area with “tikoys.”
Officially the lunar Chinese New Year 2010 will be on February 14, the date when the year of the metallic tiger starts.
