Filipino-Chinese community in this city encourages the public to be part of their New Year celebration which they will celebrate through a series of activities from January 27 to February 2.

The celebration anchors on the theme “Filipino-Chinese Community: Breaking Barriers and Building Bridges towards United Iloilo Community”, which according to Ian Eric Pama, a member of the Chinese New Year Task Force, speaks of “unity of everyone”.

“We believe that the Filipino and Chinese culture interacts with the longtime friendship of the Filipino and Chinese communities in the city. This is our way of helping Iloilo City improve to the next level,” he said in a press conference here Wednesday.

Pama said the Chinese community, who owns businesses in the downtown area of the city, provides employment to Ilonggos.

The celebration also involves all schools in the city providing Chinese education, three major business Filipino-Chinese organizations and Chinese family associations.

The Filipino-Chinese population in the city is around 12,000 to 13,000.

Dr. Felipe Uygongco, chairman of the 2020 Chinese New Year Task Force, said their various civic organizations join hands in helping local Filipinos.

“This festival is always to showcase our Chinese culture,” he said.

“The Iloilo celebration will be the biggest celebration outside Manila,” Uygongco added.

One of their activities is to visit to public schools offering Chinese education. Pama said they would like public schools to “learn and appreciate Chinese culture”.

The celebration will kick off with a Chinese Lantern Parade on January 27 from the Iloilo Provincial Capitol to Iznart Street that will be followed by the launching of the night market and food festival.

There will be a grand cultural show and fireworks display on January 29 at the Filipino-Chinese Friendship Arc at the Plazoleta Gay on Iznart Street.

It will culminate on Feb. 2 with a Chinese New Year mass at the Sta. Maria Parish in the morning and a mall show by the Hua Siong College of Iloilo in the afternoon at the SM City Iloilo.

Uygongco said the activity in Iloilo City is the biggest celebration being held outside of Metro Manila. (PNA)