MANILA, Philippines—Many Filipinos are learning to disdain the traditionally raucous—and harmful—way of greeting the New Year. On New Year’s Eve, thousands of revelers welcomed 2009 partying a la New Yorkers in street parties sponsored by local governments in Metro Manila.

In Makati, Mayor Jejomar Binay led the countdown to usher in 2009 and bid goodbye to the troubled year that was 2008.

“If New York (the United States), Sydney (Australia) and Moscow (Russia) have their own grand celebration, this is our version,” Binay said.

“This is also our way to share love and to lead Filipinos in welcoming 2009 with hope and optimism.”

In neighboring Bonifacio Global City, streaks of red, yellow and green lit up the sky above The Fort where the Taguig city government threw a New Year countdown and street party for around 5,000 people, highlighted by a spectacular 15-minute fireworks presentation by the award-winning La Mancha pyrotechnics group.

At the SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City, executives and celebrities of the GMA 7 television network sponsored a grand party, to the delight of their fans and supporters.

Rained out

Some 10,000 people, under the watchful eye of 120 policemen, showed up at the Makati street party held at the corner of Ayala and Makati Avenues despite the intermittent showers.

“If not for the drizzle, more people could have come and celebrated with us,” Binay said.

The annual New Year countdown party in Makati also served as a fundraising event for the ABS-CBN Foundation’s “Sagip Kapamilya” to help indigent families.

To keep the crowd entertained, rock bands like Sandwich, Blue Ketchup, the Bloomfields and Brownman Revival performed their hit songs and revved up the crowd.

Dancing lights

Shortly before the stroke of midnight, Binay went up the makeshift stage and led the official countdown to 2009 as a splendid 10-minute fireworks display sponsored by the city government lit up the skies.

As the clock struck midnight at The Fort, organizers let loose a spectacle of light that seemed to dance to the rhythm of the music playing in the background.

As fireworks exploded in crimson and light green hues, yellow sparks formed a line of small rocket bursts, to cheers and applause from the crowd that packed the corner of 5th Avenue and 26th Street.

Lights from thousands of clicking cameras flashed incessantly as people tried to get a snapshot of the display. Others raised their beer bottles to greet the New Year, while some hugged the person next to them.

The display was excerpted from the La Mancha presentation that won third place in a fireworks competition in Hanover, Germany. La Mancha was one of the organizers of the World Pyrolympics held in the Philippines in 2005 and 2006.

“From the feedback that I heard, people loved last night’s fireworks display because it shot up really high,” said Senior Supt. Camilo Cascolan.

People started to trickle in at around 9 p.m., said Cascolan, who kept watch with a contingent of the Taguig police. After the party ended around 1 a.m., the police chief said he noticed more people arriving and the parking lots filling up with more cars.

P1-M prize money

Of those who attended the Makati event, Roque Ferfas almost went home the champion. But Ferfas narrowly missed taking home the much-coveted P1 million grand prize of the night’s raffle draw.

Ferfas only got to identify 14 Makati City logos, just two short to win the top prize, from the boxes that were flashed on the giant screen onstage, according to Fel Lim, one of the event organizers.

Lovelyn Fortaliza and Princess Saja also had the chance to pocket the P1-million prize, being among the 15 lucky partygoers who were selected by raffle draw to play the game.

Fortaliza and Saja only successfully identified eight and three Makati logos, respectively.

The three each took home P20,000 in cash, plus either a digital camera, Apple iPod and Sony Playstation Portable game console.

Participants needed only to donate any amount to the foundation to get one raffle stub.

“Although nobody won the P1 million, it was a successful night for the foundation,” Lim said.

Low-key celebration

A spectacular fireworks display that marked the start of the summer capital’s centennial celebrations on Wednesday provided the glitter to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s low-key New Year’s Eve at the Mansion House in Baguio City where the President and her family have been spending the holidays since Dec. 26.

A Baguio resident tried to promote a counter-firecracker campaign by flying kites.

Dr. Delfin Pilones launched three giant kites, emblazoned with “Happy New Year” greetings. The largest kite measured 20 feet wide.

Pilones said he wanted to engage people in less damaging ways of greeting the New Year. With a report from Vincent Cabreza, Inquirer Northern Luzon