Solidarity Parade wraps up Chinese New Year

February 15, 2024

A man raises a flag that represents the colour of the Chinese New Year in front of the Binondo Chinese Mission Parish at Ongpin Street in Binondo last Feb. 10. (Photo by Christian Querol/The Manila Warden)

Red and gold hues painted the streets of Manila Chinatown as visitors and tourists watched the Solidarity Parade that highlighted the celebration of the Lunar New Year in Binondo on Feb. 10, 2024.  

The celebration marked the 430th anniversary of Chinatown, which included the on Feb. 1 kick-off at the Plaza San Lorenzo Ruiz in Binondo, the 12-minute firework display at the Binondo-Intramuros Bridge and Jones Bridge to welcome the Lunar New Year on Feb. 9, and the Solidarity Parade on Feb. 10. 

Led by Manila Vice Mayor John Marvin “Yul Servo” Nieto and Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian, around 30 floats of different Filipino-Chinese organizations paraded the bustling streets starting from the Manila Post Office Building to Lucky Chinatown Mall on Feb. 10. 

Elias plays with his friends using a makeshift dragon with boxes and blankets during the Solidarity Parade in Binondo, Manila last Feb. 10. (Photo by Christian Querol/The Manila Warden)

Locals celebrated the Solidarity Parade in creative ways; Elias with his friends showed a way how to do it budget-friendly. 

“This is a time that we can showcase our creativity. It is a time when the Filipino-Chinese community can perform and celebrate. Look at our stuff; it is a makeshift dragon made up of a plastic box and a blanket with paint cans and brushes as our drums,” Elias said in Tagalog, a 10-year-old local in Binondo who celebrated Chinese New Year with his friends. 

The parade started at 3 p.m. at the Manila Post Office, an hour early from its original schedule of 4 p.m. The front of the parade reached the last stop of Lucky Chinatown at 4:22 p.m. Various giveaways such as candies, angpaos, and refreshments were thrown by paraders. 

The parade covered barangays Sta. Cruz, San Nicolas, and Binondo  

The Lunar New Year 2024 begins the year of the Wooden Dragon, the only mythical creature of the 12 animals representing the 12-year Chinese zodiac calendar.  

Heightened Police Presence  

Police force gather at Ongpin Street after the Solidarity Parade in Binondo last Feb. 10. (Photo by Christian Querol/The Manila Warden)

During the weeklong event, the Philippine National Police (PNP) deployed 1,500 police personnel to protect the citizens and certify the success of the events such as the Lucky Chinatown Mall concert, the Binondo-Intramuros and Intramuros Bridge fireworks display on Feb. 9, and the Solidarity Parade on Feb. 10, according to the PNP-Public Information Office. 

“Yes, we are expecting more than 500,000 that will visit because it is a weeklong activity. It started on February 1, with the kick-off ceremony here at Plaza Binondo Ruiz,” Manila Police District Director Police Brig. Gen. Thomas Ibay said in Tagalog in an interview with Mariz Umali of GMA Unang Balita on Feb. 9. 

The PNP ensured the festivities received heightened security coverage for the weeklong celebration, particularly at Ongpin Street and Plaza Binondo Ruiz, wherein the parade culminated because of its intersection that greeted the Minor Basilica and National Shrine of San Lorenzo Ruiz. 

This included a road closure by the Manila City Government that closed the Binondo-Intramuros Bridge on Feb. 9, 12 midnight onwards. The southbound lane going towards the Manila City Hall at Jones Bridge was also secured from 7 p.m. onwards.  

The northbound portion bound towards Binondo was closed off at 10 p.m., allowing people to watch the fireworks display. 

Manila City Administrator Bernardito “Bernie” Ang said during the Manila City Hall Reporters’ Association (MACHRA) forum on Feb. 5 that Chinatown was expected to draw one million people. 

Malacañang signed Proclamations No. 453 and No. 368, declaring Feb. 9 and 10 as special non-working holidays to celebrate the Lunar New Year. No. 453 was signed on Jan. 18, 2024, and No. 367 on Oct. 11, 2023.  

“The declaration of February 9, 2024, Friday, as an additional special non-working day throughout the country will give the people the full opportunity to celebrate the Chinese New Year and enable our countrymen to avail of the benefits of a longer weekend,” the proclamation read and signed by the President and Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin on Jan. 19, 2024. 

Established in 1594, Binondo is recognized as the world’s oldest Chinatown. Chinese merchants built revered structures and celebrated their festivals and rituals, eventually turning the area into a hub for Chinese-Filipino tradition, commerce, and beliefs. Binondo celebrated its 430th anniversary on Feb. 10, 2024.

- Christian Querol