Members of the Filipino-Chinese community in Iloilo City gathered at the Santa Maria Parish Church to celebrate a Holy Mass in line with the celebration of the Chinese New Year.
The Holy Mass on January 29, 2025 was celebrated in English and Chinese languages.
Filipino-Chinese individuals lit the traditional joss sticks (a type of incense) and offered round fruits, and flowers.
Annie Sy, a Filipino-Chinese, marks the Lunar New Year by preparing Chinese food for her family.
“We make dumplings. We eat together,” Annie said.
It is a New Year tradition of the Filipino-Chinese community to distribute “ang pao” (red packet) that symbolizes abundance and prosperity.
“This is the sign of blessings from God for abundance, prosperity, and the brightness of this coming New Year,” Juliet Go, another member of the community, said.
As for 2025 being the Year of the Wood Snake, the snake symbolizes resilience, healing, and wisdom.
“We remember the Divine Being who has been provident to us in the past year. And in faith, we continue to believe that He be provident to us,” said Fr. Joseph Raymund Patrick Sanchez, president of the Ateneo de Iloilo-Santa Maria Catholic School.
The mayor of Iloilo City graced the celebration as a gesture of fellowship to the Filipino-Chinese community whose contributions have been vital to the growth of the local economy.
“Hopefully the Year of the Snake will bring us more unity, more strength, better fortune,” Mayor Jerry Treñas wished.
Meanwhile, the stage has been mounted at the Iloilo Freedom Grandstand for the cultural show and fireworks display on Friday, January 31, 2025.
The public has been advised of road closures that day in the vicinity of the event venue.
In Bacolod City, the Filipino-Chinese community gathered at Yuan Thong Temple (or Fo Guang Shan Bacolod) in Barangay Villamonte.
To attract luck, the members were advised on which object to hang or decorate in their house and what to wear during the celebration.
House decorations include Chinese lanterns, incense candles, prosperity and wishing ribbons, lotus candles for purity and wisdom, ang pao (red packet), and other red things.
“We have here keychain, more luck, more luck for us. There is a symbol of a fish, the ye, same as ping he, they symbolize as part of the world,” Rheyan Esgana, youth organizer at Yuan Thong Temple, said.
Members also wrote on wide ribbons for health and abundance.
Venerable Master Zhirong reminded her fellow Chinese members, as well as Filipinos, and other nationalities who would want to know more about Buddhism, to always keep going.
“This year we talk about (shows Chinese characters) ‘Keep going, the future is bright.’ If you don’t give up, you will be successful,” Zhirong emphasized.