‘It will rain money in Cebu’

The year of the black water snake will be a “good year” for Cebu.

It will be so good that “it will literally rain money this year,” a geomancer and a “feng shui economist” said.

“The feng shui of Cebu is perfectly like Hong Kong’s. This is a good year for Cebu,” Master Aldric Dalumpines said ahead of today’s celebration of the Chinese New Year.

The year of the black water snake runs through Jan. 31, 2014.

“It will literally rain money this year,” Dalumpines said.

He said the coming into play of the sin tax and the reproductive health law as well as election-spending will fire up economic engines in the country this year with construction and real estate continuing as magnifiers of growth.

Dalumpines advised  those who want to go into business to venture into anything related with water and to shun fire-related ones like restaurants.

To start the year right and attract more luck, feng shui expert Marites Allen is advising people to wear something “auspicious” and mystic knot blouses during the first day of the year.

Critical days

Allen said the first 15 days of the year are also very critical for one’s fortune for the rest of the year

She said people should be happier especially on these days.

Allen said that with today being the luckiest day of the year coincides with the number 8 prosperity star . One should wake up early and wear new clothes preferably with mystic knot prints or symbols of your Chinese zodiac sign.

“Play loud and happy music. Wish every member of the family a ‘Happy New Year’ and give children and young adults their angpaws (red money envelopes). From 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. everyone should gather as a family for breakfast. At the start of the meal, young children and young adults should offer sweet tea to their elders,” Allen wrote.

According to Harbour City Dimsum House Co., Inc. marketing manager Steven Kokseng, in Chinese tradition, all family members should be together especially during the first day of the year.

“It is said that you shouldn’t sweep, mop or vacuum nor do laundry as you might sweep away your luck,” Kokseng said.

Philippine Retailers Association past president and this year’s Cebu Business Month chairman Melanie Chua Ng said the Year of the Water Snake holds a lot of promise and prospects for businesses considering that the snake is known to be resourceful which implies that businesses are expected to survive and grow this year.

“Every year we gather with our family during the eve of the New Year. It’s considered our bonding day and we usually give each other the prosperity bread to wish all of our family members a prosperous year ahead,” Ng said.

She said they give out tikoy and huat kueh to family members and colleagues in the business.

“Huat kueh is considered the prosperity cake while tikoy is best given to families because of its sticky texture and sweet taste for an abundant and sweet year ahead,” Ng said.

Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry past president Eric Ng Mendoza also said they gather during the eve of the New Year and eat as one family in a big round table.

“We serve fish, Peking duck, prawns and prosperity cakes, and sweet round fruits which are considered lucky,” Mendoza said.

Mendoza said the business community in general is expecting a good year ahead this year.

“The snake is a stable and strong animal with a strong survival instinct which implies that businesses this year will flourish and survive and just keep growing. Snakes always possess material wealth and symbolizing grace,” Mendoza said.

International Pharmaceuticals, Inc vice president for sales and marketing Stanley Uang said that they follow certain traditions like giving of angpao and wearing red.

“We usually celebrate it by dining together with the closest of relatives and with those who happens to be here. The most common ritual is dressing up oneself in red or wearing red garments and of course the favorites among the children is the receiving angpaos from the older relatives,” he said.

Uang added that the Chinese consider the snake as a lucky animal hence, this year is generally regarded as a good year for the economy.

“Plus the water element connotes money,” he said.

Some businessmen however, said that pne should not just rely on lucky charms and traditional practices to attract good luck.

“It will always help if one works hard for their business to grow and not totally rely on what the stars say.

“Blindly believing in prosperity in every new year by doing nothing will not make any difference. Hard work coupled with innovation and kindness in our lives are keys to peace and continuous blessing in everything we do,” said Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Philip N. Tan.