Bacolaodiat Festival 2023 chair John Stephen Sy (right), SM City Bacolod Assistant Mall Manager Julia Javellana (center) and Councilor Jason Villarosa with Tourism Officer Tere Manalili and the Bacolaodiat Inc. board members open the Chinese New Year events at the mall Sunday.*Ronnie Baldonado photo
A pre-launch event to jumpstart the 2023 Bacolaodiat Festival and the Chinese New Year was held at SM City Bacolod on Sunday, January 15.
The event was attended by Bacolod City officials, members of Bacolaodiat Inc. and officers of SM City Bacolod.
Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez, who was represented by Councilor Jason Villarosa and City Tourism Officer Tere Manalili, described the Bacolaodiat Festival as one of the two major events in the city, the other being the MassKara Festival.
The Bacolaodiat Festival is more than just a celebration of the New Year, it “symbolizes the strong friendship of the Philippines with the Chinese community”, Benitez said
“This occasion commemorates the values of hard work, dedication, patience, and family-centeredness that our fellow Filipino-Chinese brothers and sisters share,” Benitez said.
Bacolaodiat Chairman John Stephen Sy thanked the festival’s partners, especially SM City Bacolod, for helping ensure the success of Bacolaodiat each year.
“We are grateful that we have several partners that continue to trust us all throughout these years and they are always ready to extend their support in any way that they can for the success of the festival,” Sy said.
A symbolic ribbon cutting was led by SM City Bacolod Assistant Mall Manager Julia Javellana along with city officials and Bacolaodiat Inc. board members to signify the start of the Bacolaodiat festivities at the mall.
SM City Bacolod is one of the four festival sites of the Bacolaodiat this year and will be the venue for the announcement of the winners of the Lantern Dance Competition on January 22.
Mall and festival goers will also witness the repeat performances of the top three Lantern dance groups on January 22.
Other activities lined up at SM City Bacolod include a Chinese Calligraphy session and a siopao eating contest on January 20; and a digital rabbit hunt, dragon dance, cultural performances and Chinese cosplay showcase on January 21.*