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By REDJIE MELVIC CAWIS/PIA

BAGUIO CITY — The Baguio Filipino-Chinese Community opened the Year of the Rabbit with the annual gift sharing to indigent families of San Carlos Heights in Barangay Irisan here last Friday, January 21.

More than 100 indigent families identified by the City Social Welfare and Development Office received packages containing basic food items and groceries at the Idogan Village Basketball Court at San Carlos Heights.

According to Peter Ng, Executive Committee Vice Chair, the gift sharing is an annual event being undertaken by the Chinese community to share the blessings received with other people who are in need. This year, Bell Church president Paul Go chairs the committee on humanitarian outreach coordinated with the OCSWADO for the event. 

Ng said that the annual gift sharing is one way of bringing the Chinese people and their culture closer to the Filipinos particularly with Baguio residents. They also want to show that Chinese New Year is for all and not for Chinese only.

During the gift giving, the members of the Chinese community also gave out traditional “tikoy” or rice cake to the family beneficiaries and they even taught them how to cook the Chinese delicacy.

Dr. Charles Cheng added that by the gift giving being done, the Chinese community is being inspired to do more and give more yearly.

Last year the Chinese community shared their gifts with indigent families in San Antonio Village in Aurora Hill. They also helped the family of William Educa, a taxi driver whose son is suffering from a congenital heart disease.

Ng disclosed that the spring festival in coordination with the city government conducted a medical and dental mission sponsored by the SM Foundation at the SM City rotunda on January 27.

The Spring Festival will be highlighted by the Chinese New Year parade on February 4 at 3:00 PM that will start at the top of Session Road down thru the city’s main thoroughfares. # nordis.net