Iloilo City gears up for bigger Chinese New Year celebration
For the first time, this year’s Chinese New Year celebration in Iloilo City will have the Iloilo Freedom Grandstand as one of the venues for its major activities.
According to Allan Tan, President of Iloilo Festivals Foundation Inc. (IFFI), the grandstand will provide a larger and more conducive space for those participating in the activities.
The Chinese New Year parade, slated for January 31, will pass through the Chinese-Filipino Friendship Arch at Iznart Street towards the Freedom Grandstand, where the festival highlights such as the Cultural Show and Fireworks Display will be held.
“We want to celebrate on a bigger scale. Over the last 20 years, our Chinese New Year celebration has gained many followers, and we usually celebrate under the Chinese-Filipino Friendship Arch. This time, we wanted to provide a larger and more conducive space,” said Tan during a press conference for the 2025 Chinese New Year celebration at the City Hall Penthouse, January 16.
Other attendees at the press conference included Rito Carlo “Judgee” Peña, Chairperson of the IFFI; Charlie Ho, IFFI Liaison Officer; and Fr. Joseph Raymund Patrick Sanchez, SJ, President of Ateneo de Iloilo-Santa Maria Catholic School.
Meanwhile, food kiosks will also be stationed in front of the old Customs House along Muelle Loney to give the audience a better view of the fireworks display.
Tan shared that the Chinese New Year celebration in Iloilo City is the first outside Metro Manila. It showcases the contributions of the Chinese community in terms of progress, as well as the Chinese culture and influence on the Ilonggos.
“This is also a way to show that the Chinese community and the Filipino community here can work together and live harmoniously,” he added.
Themed “Providence: A Celebration of Grace, Gratitude, and Growth,” the welcoming of the Year of the Wood Snake will also take place at various venues, including the Iloilo downtown area, SM City Iloilo, and Iloilo Business Park.
This year’s celebration is hosted by Ateneo de Iloilo-Santa Maria Catholic School and will include participation from other Chinese schools such as Sun Yat Sen High School, Iloilo Scholastic Academy, and Hua Siong College of Iloilo.
“The Chinese New Year is a wonderful opportunity to give thanks for all the blessings of the past years and to ask for more blessings for prosperity. However, we must also remember to honor the Divine Being who bestows these graces upon us. Therefore, instead of focusing solely on prosperity, let us emphasize the providence and graces granted by the Divine Being during this time of celebration,” Fr. Sanchez stressed. (GSTayona/Iloilo City PIO)