AS City Hall launched its week-long calendar of activities to mark the Chinese New Year, Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Rolando ‘Klarex’ Uy said that this annual event will help rejuvenate the city’s economy.
“(With the Chinese embassy officials saying that) we in Cagayan de Oro are the first (to hold a weeklong calendar of activities in celebration of) Chinese New Year, it is also the first time in the city’s history that we will hold a large program; from Bell Church (Chinese Temple) to City Hall to Divisoria, there will be even lion dances and even a dragon boat race,” Mayor Uy said in Visayan.
Mayor Uy said this during his radio program last Friday even as City Hall officials announced the lineup of programs scheduled for this week’s Chinese New Year observance.
“Due to a large number of visitors we expect (this week), our hotels and restaurants (will profit from this celebration),” Mayor Uy said in Visayan.
During Monday morning’s flag-raising program, Oro-Trade and Investments Promotions Center (Oro-TIPC) chief John Asunción said the weeklong festivities kick off with a lion dance performed by the Filipino-Chinese contingent.
“Tomorrow morning (Tuesday) there will be a lion dance starting at City Hall…there will also be a guided tour of the Bell Church,” he said.
Asuncion, who chairs the committee in charge of overseeing the Chinese New Year activities, said the dragon boat race will have 600 athletes from all over the country and is one of the biggest to be held in the country.
“The Filipino-Chinese community leaders (will meet with) Mayor Klarex on Chinese New Year’s eve on Jan. 21 (Saturday) and there will be fireworks and misua (Chinese rice noodle) eating,” Asunción said.
For his part, acting City Tourism Office chief Rico Libre said the lion dancing will be. held at the City Hall grounds and in designated areas in Divisoria for the entire week in the morning and in the evening.
“On Jan. 21, the dragon boat race will be held at 7 am, and from 11 pm to 1 am, there will be a fireworks display….on Jan. 22, there will be a motorcade at 8 am, and at 8 pm, a fellowship dinner with our dragon boat racers,” he said. (Stephen Capillas of City Information Office)