"Prosperity, Happiness, and Long Life:
Celebrating a festive year of good luck at Binondo"
(Or "Notes after yours truly celebrated the Lunar Year of the Pig at Binondo")
Ever since it became a non-working holiday some few years ago, Chinese New Year was more than just a celebration of luck, but also a commemoration of Filipino-Chinese friendship if a recognition of Chinese culture and community which remained influential in the Philippines for centuries.
And Chinese Filipinos, although do not make the majority of the population of the country, have been a prominent member of the Filipino community, especially through their influence in the business, particularly in the commercio-mercantile sector. Its culture been embedded alongside Hispanic and American ones, especially those of food, language, and even family affairs that binds Filipino families closer.
And also to think that admist the present stormy relations brought about by the recent events like the Panatag and Kalayaan group of isles, of illegal migrants trying to takeover Filipino jobs, and Duterte's preference towards the Chinese despite these problems, this didn't interrupt the occasion, its dragon and lion dances, what more of the sumptuos food that makes the event remembering.
Traversing Ongpin, entering its temple, and venerating the cross
Given the Filipino's perchance for Chinese food, consulting Feng Shui experts for good luck, as well as reading their Chinese horoscope for good prospects, Chinese New Year is itself the ideal day to engage these things.
And with this writer traversed Chinatown district at Binondo through Ongpin st. there lies a festive mood with its dragon and lion dances, restaurants filled with people, and others selling trinkets of various sorts, all with one desire: good luck, wealth, wealth, and long life.
So is the temple, where Chinese and even Filipinos alike offered joss sticks and offerings to Guan Yu and other Chinese deities for a blessing, of burning Joss paper money and lighting candles for their deceased loved ones, followed by drinking ginger tea at the corner to quench their thirst. Yet some would rather enter the site just for a picture spree to be posted in social media sites like Facebook or Instagram afterwards.
But the occasion itself, what more of the district, isn't limited to Daoists or Buddhists alike; the Longos cross for instance, known as Binondo's watchful companion for Christians, hath honoured and served the lord Jesus Christ all in a fusion of Filipino-Chinese customs and traditions.
So strange to some that with its fusion of customs, if not an appropriation of Chinese worship to a Christian figure, emphasises respect, love, and devotion to the Lord, whose Cross, bearing heart-like figure alluded to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and covered with gold plated covering, is always adorned with sampaguita garlands, offered by its devotees lit joss sticks all alongside prayers and petitions. Local folks always say that one should need to drop by Binondo's Miraculous Cross to pay respect and for good luck whenever in that district. True enough, for the Cross also gained devotees, and miracles were also attributed through the veneration of this Cross.
And as Ongpin's corners been sprawled with trinkets and statuettes bearing good luck to its buyers, it is expected to say that people started to converge, buying if not asking about its prices. And most would say they would buy either the statue of the laughing buddha or the money-bearing tree harnessing good luck at the corner of their houses or their offices, or the tantric deities at the nearby store either for worship or for the sake of curiosity.
But since the year marks with its signature animal, there are statues of pigs whose appearances are those of happiness and hope, making those who born of that year feel the luck in it what more of buying it and be displayed showing that the buyer was born on that year and therefore enjoy its good luck thereof.
"Not just Chinese, but also Filipino"
As this person traversed, would say that these events shown at Ongpin or even Binondo aren't limited to things Chinese. Some portions of the street did carried features likely to be shown in a Filipino Fiesta such as crossdressers spewing fire, of drummers commonly played their tunes during ati-atihan, or even Muslims peddling their own wares like brass, ceramics, anything that can be sold knowing that said occasion is also considered a time to market their wares at Ongpin's sidewalks.
What more that there are street kids performing their own version of Dragon and Lion dances especially those near the bridge and at Ongpin cor. Salazar and at Alonso, creating makeshift heads out of sacks and plastic box containers, much better if brought from a nearby prosperity store or painted boxes, glued cartons and styrofoam cups to look more like a dragon and danced away through the beat of the plastic container-turned-drum, all at the amusement of others willing to throw coins for them.
***
Anyway, as this person sought the festive mood, enjoyed the meal, and took pictures bearing everyone feeling the desire for good luck, would say that amidst all the challenges surrounding Filipino-Chinese relations, it is indeniable that in that occasion that the spirit of Filipino-Chinese amity continues to flourish, to the extent that generations of Filipino-Chinese thrives, carrying Chinese traditions yet bearing the aspirations every Filipino wanted to realise such as a just, strong, and prosperous country that is, the Philippines.
And thus, no wonder why this person's friend said that:
"Why not instead of 'Long Life, Prosperity and Happiness' should be 'Prosperity, Happiness, and Long Life'? For to cut it short, this meant the Philippines itself in its shortened form, PHL."
That's all for now, Gong Xi Fa Cai!