• CHERYL G. CRUZ
There will be temporary road closures, from 12 a.m. Jan. 29 to 11:59 p.m. Feb. 3, covering 5th to 13th Lacson Street in Bacolod City, for the 20th Bacolaodiat Festival.
The North Capitol Road, meanwhile, is now closed to vehicular traffic until 11:59 p.m. on Feb. 3, also as part of the festival, as several activities will be held in the area in celebration of the Chinese New Year.
This as the Sangguniang Panlungsod ratified the memorandum of agreement signed by Mayor Alfredo Benitez and John Stephen Sy, Bacolaodiat Festival 2025 chairperson, on the P5 million financial assistance from the city to the festival organizer for this year’s staging of the festivity to usher in the Year of the Snake.
“Throughout the country, Bacolaodiat is the first and only Chinese New Year celebration that has become a tourism event, particularly in the City of Bacolod. The organizer, through the Bacolaodiat Inc., hopes to showcase the event with more grandeur and uniqueness as it highlights the merging of the Chinese and the Filipino cultures in one extraordinary presentation,” the MOA states.
The festival should be able to bolster tourism activities by bringing in tourists, foster harmonious relations among the Chinese and the Filipinos in Bacolod, and be able to promote the idea that, though diverse in cultures, the Chinese and the Filipinos could unite and work for a better community, it added.
Sy, also the president of Bacolaodiat Inc., emphasized the significance of the festival in honoring the Filipino-Chinese community’s contributions to Bacolod’s growth and development.
In a statement, he said the festival has reached a significant milestone as it enters its second decade, reflecting the enduring spirit and cultural pride that began with its inception in 2006.
Bacolaodiat Inc. vice president Bob Cordova, meanwhile, urged everyone to join and enjoy the array of activities.
Festivities begin with the Chinese New Year’s Eve celebration and hitting of the bell on Jan. 28 at Yuan Thong Temple, followed by the Spring Festival thanksgiving mass and kickoff on Jan. 29.
On Jan. 30, the SP will hold a session and confer on business mogul Hans Sy of SM the resolution as adopted son and honorary mayor of Bacolod.
Other highlight activities include the opening of the Emperor’s Market and Imperial Village, staging of the cultural show A Night in the Middle Kingdom, and Symphony of Lights and Sparks fireworks, all on Jan. 31.
On Feb. 1, enjoy the Snake Emperor and Empress costume contest, street dance competition, and lantern dance competition, Cordova said, adding that festivities will wrap up on Feb. 2 with repeat performances, awarding ceremonies, and the Chinese cosplay invasion.
“I hope to see everyone joining us for this very remarkable festival that we prepared for the city,” Cordova said.
Representatives from Bacolod government agencies and law enforcers, meanwhile, finalized plans for crowd control, safety protocols, and traffic management across key festival sites.
P/Major Eugene Tolentino of the Bacolod City Police Office discussed cop deployment for security and patrol assignments, while the Bureau of Fire Protection and the Bacolod Traffic Authority Office vowed to ensure smooth traffic flow and public safety.
The recent coordination meeting underscored the importance of inter-agency cooperation to manage large crowds and ensure the success of the Bacolaodiat Festival, Sy said. | CGC
