Bacolod 's artists have created 12 brightly colored giant animals that will glow from within when they join Bacolod City 's annual BacoLaodiat Festival lantern parade from SM City to 6 th Street at 6 p.m. today to usher in the Chinese New Year.

They are the brainchild of Bacolod-based multi-awarded artist Charlie Co who tapped the help of other Negrense artists for the collaborative work.

This is the first time Co has brought his art into the annual BacoLaodiat Festival. He said the 8-feet tall by 4-feet wide animals mounted on 4-feet high boxes represent the 12 animals of the Chinese horoscope.

Co, through the giant animals, brings to “life” the twelve animals that symbolize the twelve years in the Chinese Lunar cycle, and horoscope.

According to myth Buddha before leaving the world invited all the animals of the world to a feast and only 12 animals arrived, in the following order – the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, the rooster, the dog and the pig. Buddha decided to name a year after each of them, in the order of their arrival.

The animals shaped with bamboo frames are covered in vivid colors and enhanced with lights from within, like giant lanterns sitting on red pedestals.

They will form part of a spectacular evening parade of lanterns, illuminated floats, dragons and lions tonight.

The animals will then find their home at the Capitol Lagoon Park in Bacolod City for the duration of the festival, which last until Feb 10, for the public to enjoy.

This year Bacolod City is celebrating the third BacoLaodiat Festival with the Capitol Shopping Center as the main activity center.

The Shopping Center is considered the base of Chinese heritage in the city.

The BacoLaodiat will kick off at 8 a.m. with a citywide dragon and lion dance, to be followed by the opening of the Chopsticks Alley along 6 th Street at 5 p.m.

The opening ceremony and cultural presentation will be held at the main stage at 6 th Street at 7 p.m. after the lantern parade where Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia and 2008 BacoLaodiat chairman William Ong will declare the official opening of the Chinese New Year Festival.

This will be followed by “Symphony of Sparks and Lights” citywide fireworks display and a live band concert at 6 th Street (BacoLaodiat schedule on page 11).

A Chinese Lantern Street Dancing competition, on the theme “Strength and Unity”, will also be held for the first time on Feb. 9 and is open to various private and public schools, barangays, cities and municipalities.

The four-day activity will be capped by a farewell ceremony at 6 th Street to bid the Year of the Pig goodbye and welcome the Year of the Rat on Feb. 10.

The 2008 BacoLaodiat Festival is chaired by William Ong of 888 Mall, with Crispin Chua as vice chairman, Lily Go – treasurer, Mary Tien – secretary and Charlie Co, Hugo Corral, Teresa Gochangco, Leonito Lopue, and Secretary to the Mayor Goldwyn Nifras as directors.

The artists who created the animal lanterns with Co are Jojo Regollo, Ting Cristales, Rex Cuenca, Niel Bienavente, Lawrence Mangao, Jerry Maguliman, Junjun Montelibano, Cindy Ballesteros, EJ Balesteros, John Michael Lee, Jeffrey Lazaro Eddie Encarnacion and Manny Montelibano*CPG/CGS

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