Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia said he had “mixed feelings” when he issued Executive Order No. 4, series of 2021, suspending the public celebration of this year’s Bacolaodiat Festival.
He expressed this in a statement issued yesterday ahead of the Chinese New Year, the supposed culmination of the now 16-year-old festival.
“When I founded this Bacolod version of the Chinese New Year in 2006, it was meant to honor and manifest the assimilation of the Chinese culture due to the enriching presence of our Filipino-Chinese community in our beloved city,” he said.
Leonardia also said the festival was conceptualized to become a major tourist attraction.
“Through the years we saw how our people embraced and supported this annual event, making it grow by leaps and bounds beyond our initial expectations,” the mayor.
He shared that he honors the memory of his late mother, Ester Ramos Leonardia, through his work for Bacolaodiat as it was during her wake in 2005, when Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas visited their family, that the idea to create a Chinese New Year festival for Bacolod was born.
Leonardia also paid tribute to the festival’s long-time chairman, the late Leonito “Diotay” Lopue, for his major contributions to make Bacolaodiat the “tourism and cultural gem that it is today”.
“This should have been another big chance to celebrate and enjoy the gains and the rise of our city. But times are telling us, in the light of the pandemic, we must put the health and safety of our people above any other considerations…We must suspend celebrations as they may prejudice our health and safety,” he added.
Before midnight on Feb. 10, Leonardia issued EO 04, series of 2021, suspending the public celebration of the Bacolaodiat Festival and all revelries or activities related to the Chinese New Year to observe and comply with the health and safety protocols to stem the spread of COVID-19 infections.
He also directed the Business Permits and Licensing Office not to issue any business permit or license to operate any form of activities or events in connection with the Bacolaodiat Festival.
Any permit or license that may have already been issued or granted prior to EO 04-2021 is deemed revoked or cancelled, he added.
In February last year, Bacolod proceeded with celebration of the 15th Bacolaodiat Festival amid the threat of the novel coronavirus, but the pandemic resulted in lesser crowds, which the mayor himself had acknowledged. – NLG
