• CHERYL G. CRUZ
The Sangguniang Panlungsod has authorized the City Mayor Jan. 8 to sign the memorandum of agreement on the grant of P5 million in financial assistance for the 20th staging of the Bacolaodiat Festival in Bacolod from Jan. 31 to Feb. 2.
This as fine-tuning is ongoing to ensure a safe and orderly Chinese New Year celebration in Bacolod City, to usher in the Year of the Snake.
“We aim to have a safer and more successful celebration of the Bacolaodiat Festival this 2025,” festival chair John Stephen Sy said as he emphasized “the importance of collaboration to achieve a shared vision.”
The 20th Bacolaodiat celebration will feature mainstays, such as cultural performances, lantern street and arena dance competition, and Asian food crawl, among other promising experiences for locals and tourists, Sy said.
Festival sites will be at 6th to 13th Lacson Streets, with the North Capitol Road as main revelry spot.
“Watch traditions, vibrant lanterns, and captivating performances light up Lacson Street and North Capitol Road as we usher in the Year of the Snake – a symbol of wisdom, transformation, and renewal,” the organizer said. “Just like the snake shedding its skin, we welcome the Lunar New Year with fresh beginnings and boundless energy.”
The snake is the sixth animal in the zodiac, and it has a complex and mysterious nature, the organizer said. “This zodiac animal represents wisdom, knowledge, intelligence, intuition and creativity. Snakes are also associated with good luck, prosperity, fertility and longevity.”
Meanwhile, the Jojaju dance group will defend its championship title in the lantern and street dance competition.
The Jojaju contingent will go up against Granadianz, Luminaries, the Estefania Dance Troupe, and Carlos Hilado Memorial State University-Alijis in this one highlight of the festivity that pays tribute to the strong partnership between the city government and the local Filipino-Chinese community. | CGC
