CROWDS that attended the Chinese New Year celebration in Manila Chinatown went way beyond the initial estimated one million, as Vice Mayor Yul Servo and City Administrator Bernie Ang led the city of Manila and its residents, especially those from the Chinese-Filipino communities, in ushering the ‘Year of the Wood Dragon’ at midnight of February 9 and holding a ‘Solidarity Parade’ on New Year’s Day itself, February 10 which Ang described as a ‘huge success.’
Ang, who is on top of the two-day festivities, said Chinese organizations and embassies continue extending their congratulatory messages to the leadership of Mayor Honey Lacuna for the successful holding of what they described as the grandest celebration of Chinese New Year in the city and more particularly in Manila Chinatown, touted to be the largest and oldest in the world.
He said the 12-minute musical fireworks display held at the Chinese-Filipino Friendship Bridge opposite Jones Bridge which served as the viewing deck and the site of the program that preceded the Chinese New Year countdown at midnight of February 9, drew an estimated crowd of 100,000 on the bridge alone, the esplanade and riverside.
Also present in the affair were Congressman Joel Chua (3rd district, Manila), Manila-China Cultural Affairs Office (MCCAO) head Ati Co, Willord Chua of the Manila Chinatown Development Council, members of the Filipino-Chinese Youth Business Association headed by its President Jacky Chan and founding President Peter Zhuang also of the MCCAO, Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (FFCCCII) President Cecilio Pedro and Manila Chinatown Barangay Organization head Jefferson Lau, among others.
Led by department of tourism, culture and the arts of Manila (DTCAM) chief Charlie Dungo, heads of various departments, bureaus and offices in Manila and City Councilors also attended the event along with mayors from provinces among them Calapan Mayor Malou Morillo.
During the ‘Solidarity Parade’ that took place on February 10, Ang said that crowds of about a million patiently waited as they filled up the streets leading to Chinatown, beginning at the Lawton area which was the starting point of the parade which was participated in by 30 floats representing the city of Manila and various Chinese-Filipino organizations.
Ang said that even China Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian, who rode the lead float along with Vice Mayor Yul Servo, Manila-China Cultural Affairs Office head Ati Co and Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (FFCCCII) President Cecilio Pedro, among others, expressed surprise and delight as to the mammoth crowds that lined up the streets to welcome the floats.
Those on board the floats threw goodies, tiny red envelopes or ‘angpao’ containing token money and other items related to the Chinese New Year celebration.
The parade stalled several times owing to the huge crowds that jostled to get near the floats to take pictures or selfies.
The first was when the parade halted for about 30 minutes, when the lead float began to enter Ongpin Street , which is the center of Chinatown and thus, the activites themselves and again, several times as the parade snailed throughout the entire area. The route which could have negotiated for 30 minutes took all of nearly four hours for the entire parade to get through.
According to Ang though, the two-day affair was generally peaceful and orderly and an over-all huge success.
He said the revelry precedes an even grander celebration of the 430th anniversary of the Manila Chinatown next month.
