By Perfecto T. Raymundo, Jr.
QUEZON CITY — Five days before the Chinese New Year, the Quezon City Government on Friday (Jan. 24) kicked off the celebration of the Chinese New Year in Banawe, the city’s Chinatown.
The celebration underscored the city’s commitment to promoting local tourism, offering visitors a unique blend of history, culture, and modern attractions.
In a press conference, Quezon City Mayor Josefina “Joy” G. Belmonte said that the Quezon City Government will kick off today the celebration of the Chinese New Year with the Quezon City’s Chinatown Food Crawl and Media Launch showcasing the area’s rich culinary heritage.
Belmonte urged everyone to support the Chinatown through its celebration of the Chinese New Year.
Mayor Belmonte is “half-Chinese” by blood herself.
She stressed that the budget for the celebration of the Chinese New Year was very minimal at only P1.5 million because of the support of the Filipino-Chinese businessmen.
Belmonte has been supporting the Chinese New Year celebration in Banawe since she was still the Vice Mayor of Quezon City.
The Chinese New Year has been declared as a national holiday in the Philippines in 2011.
It was President Corazon “Cory” Cojuangco-Aquino who declared the Chinese New Year as a “special non-working holiday”.
Joel Distrajo, from the Office of the City Administrator, said that because the Chinese New Year celebration will only be for one day in Banawe, there will also be no parade during the celebration.
Distrajo added that 50 exhibitors are also expected to participate during the one-day celebration.
He urged all participants to be “eco-friendly” in line with the city government’s sustainable and green environment prigram.
The QC Chinatown is one of the biggest in the world, which is five square kilometers or five hectares in total land area.
Also present during the press conference were Dexter Cardenas, and Rorvick Cheng, President of QC Association of Filipino-Chinese Businessmen, Inc., among others.
Charles Chen, Chairman of QC Chinatown Development Foundation, Inc., said that they would like Banawe to be a premier town in Metro Manila in the future.
Benjamin Co, Secretary General of Chinatown Development Foundation, Inc.,
said that they will not tackle about the geopolitics or the issue on the South China Sea or the West Philippine Sea.
Col. Melecio Maddatu Buslig, Jr., Acting District Director of Quezon City Police District, said that they will be deploying 300 policemen in the Banawe district in order to provide order and security during the celebration of the Chinese New Year on January 29 in coordination with Gen. Elmo DG. San Diego (Ret.), DPOS Head.
Giana Aira A. Barata, Acting Chief of Tourism Operations Office of the QC Tourism Department, said that Banawe is not only popular for automotive parts, but also for Chinese cuisines and tourism.
The improvement and beautification of Banawe district is also part of the development program of the Quezon City Government under the leadership of Mayor Joy Belmonte.
Barata added that they are making and promoting the Banawe district to be more authentic Chinese in culture, heritage and tourism.
The Banawe is one of the biggest Chinatowns in the world and not only in the Philippines.
The food crawl will be composed of five Chinese restaurants in Banawe, which will only serve their respective “specialty dishes” so as not to overfed the participants.
The five restaurants are just “walking distance” or just 10 meters away from each other.
The Chinese New Year will be on January 29, which will be celebrated only for one day as there will be office work and classes the next day.
It can be recalled that the Chinese New Year was celebrated in Banawe, Quezon City for three days last year.
The attendees, including Members of the Media and Quezon City local officials, had the opportunity to taste authentic signature Chinese dishes from five restaurants prior to the “Year of the Wooden Snake” on January 29.
The five restaurants are within walking distance stressing to 1.8 kilometers and offering specialty foods such as lumpia and pansit, siopai, cuapao, oyster cake and dumplings among others.
There will be 50 merchants or purveyors present in the Chinese New Year celebration in Banawe on January 29.
The first stop of the food crawl was at the Mandarin Sky Seafood Restaurant located in Banawe, Quezon City.
Next stop was at the Fong Wei Wu, with authentic Taiwanese cuisine, Ylaya Maki & Lumpia Restaurant since 1960, Tasty Dumplings, a Taiwanese restaurant famous for pork chop dishes, Jin Hokki Dumpling, and the last stop was in Muy Hong, the home of Chinese Amoy fresh Lumpia, oyster cake, and kikiam, which has been in the business for 30 years already.