Spring festival launching set Feb. 5

THE BAGUIO Spring Festival or Chinese Lunar New Year will be launched in a program here on Feb. 5, 8 a.m. at the City Hall grounds.

The celebration will run from Feb. 5 until the Chinese New Year proper on Feb. 17 with various traditional activities spearheaded by the City Government under Mayor Mauricio Domogan and the Baguio Filipino-Chinese Community.

Domogan and Rep. Mark Go will deliver messages during the launching program which will feature the Lion Dance presentation.

Spring Festival Executive committee chair Peter Ng will open the program while adviser Kane Chanbonpin will present the committee members.

Lawyer Cristeta Leung will talk on the significance of the Year of Dog.

The calendar of activities will be unveiled to be followed by a cultural dance presentation to be rendered by the Baguio Patriotic High School Chinese Faculty and a trivia to be facilitated by Pepito Avena, head secretariat of the committee.

The Spring Festival is considered the grandest and the most important annual event for the Chinese.

This year is the Year of the Earth Dog according to Chinese zodiac. Year 2018 is the Chinese 4715th year in the Chinese Calendar.

Highlights of the celebration include a media fellowship and briefing on Feb. 7 6:30 p.m. at the Hotel Supreme, barangay gift-sharing on Feb. 13 at Gibraltar barangay and the main features, the grand colorful parade on Feb. 17, 2:30 p.m. at Session Road with program at Melvin Jones and the dinner and awards night program at 7 p.m. at Hotel Supreme. Aileen Refuerzo