BAGUIO CITY (PIA) - - The Baguio Filipino – Chinese Community and the city government launched  the 2024 Lunar Chinese New Year celebration  in the city during  the flag raising ceremony at the City Hall grounds on February 5.

The Bell Church Lion, Dragon and Martial Arts team along with students of the Baguio Patriotic School provided entertainment  while  the city officials and leaders of the Filipino – Chinese community unveiled the scheduled events for Spring Festival 2024.
 
The Spring Festival welcomes  2024 as the year of the Wooden Dragon on February 10. The grand colorful parade is  set on February 13.

Session Road will be transformed into a Little Chinatown for two Sundays – February 11 and 18, where Baguio folks and visitors can enjoy a gastronomic treat and shop for products from the Filipino – Chinese community.
 
The Baguio Filipino – Chinese community will also have their annual gift – giving activity for indigent families in pre – identified city barangay.

The Lunar Chinese New Year or Spring Festival celebration in Baguio is an institutionalized annual event in the city that started in 1998.

Baguio Filipino – Chinese community Executive Committee Chairperson Peter Ng  expressed   gratitude to the city officials for their  continuing support  in making the Spring Festival  one of the major annual activities of the city.

“The goal and objective of the festival is to promote better understanding and cooperation between the Filipino and Chinese communities, in order to strengthen our historical friendship and unity,” Ng  said.

Chino Chow,  Association of Baguio Chinese Filipino Youth Inc. president,  gave a trivia about the  year of the Wooden Dragon.  He said it offers a canvass of personal and collective growth, given that the dragon - a creature of strength and ambition, signifies resilience and the pursuit of greatness, is paired with the nurturing qualities of wood. 

“Let us seize the opportunities that arise  for the wood dragon beckons us to embrace change with an open heart,  and a flexible mindset. Just as the wood element bends without breaking, we too,  must adapt and thrive in the face of challenges,” Chow said.

“As we embark on this journey,  remember that the wood dragon influences, encourages creativity, innovation, and a harmonious balance between strength and adaptability. Together,  let us carve a path towards prosperity learning from the dragon’s wisdom, and flourishing under the nurturing embrace of the wood,”  he added.

Mayor Benjamin Magalong, represented by City Administrator Bonifacio Dela Peña, and Congressman Mark Go, represented by his wife Soledad Go, in their respective messages  expressed gratitude to the Filipino – Chinese community for being a committed partner in bringing in a better Baguio. (JDP/CCD-PIA CAR)