Some Manila, Caloocan roads closed for Lunar New Year

ROWS of kiat kiat “wreaths,” with a pineapple in the center, adorn stalls lining a street in Binondo, Manila. Eating and displaying these fruits is believed to bring in good luck for the Year of the Fire Monkey. MARIANNE BERMUDEZ

Some streets in the cities of Manila and Caloocan will be closed Sunday night, Feb. 7, until Monday, Feb. 8, to make way for events marking the start of the Year of the Fire Monkey.

The grand countdown to the Lunar New Year to be held at the Manila Chinatown Gateway Arch at the foot of Jones Bridge on Escolta Street, Manila, will kick off today at 6:30 p.m. with a concert featuring Chinese singers Nicole Sean Chiang and Dean Kyle Ang, and local artists Mayonnaise, Kenyo, Pedicab, The Dawn and KZ Tandingan.

Around 11:30 p.m., Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada is expected to give a short speech and lead a “tikoy”-cutting ceremony, followed by a lion dance show and a fireworks display at midnight.

A float parade will then take place at 1 p.m. on Feb. 8, Monday. It will start at the Manila Central Post Office in Lawton and will pass through Jones Bridge, turn right on Escolta Street, left on Tomas Pinpin Street, left on Dasmariñas Street, left on Nueva Street, right on San Vicente Street, left on Juan Luna Street, right on Muelle de la Industria Street, right on Muelle de Binondo Street, right on Dasmariñas Street, left on Quintin Paredes Street, right on Ongpin Street, left at Plaza Sta. Cruz heading to F. Torres Street, left on Soler Street, and then left on Reina Regente Street, ending at the Lucky Chinatown Mall.

In a traffic advisory, the Manila Police District informed motorists that the northbound lane of Jones Bridge from Escolta Street to Padre Burgos Street will be closed from 6 p.m. on Feb. 7 to 12:30 a.m. on Feb. 8 to give way to the grand countdown party. Vehicles coming from Padre Burgos Street intending to enter the Binondo district will be rerouted to McArthur Bridge, while those coming from Muelle del Rio Street via Postal Road intending to cross Jones Bridge should instead make a left on Magallanes Drive Extension.

Guests may park their vehicles along Escolta and at Plaza Cervantes.

For those attending the parade, guests can park on Magallanes Drive along the stretch fronting National Press Club until the Bureau of Immigration.

In Caloocan City, the portion of the Bonifacio Memorial Circle (BMC) linked to Edsa, McArthur Highway, Samson Road and Rizal Avenue will be closed to vehicles shortly after Sunday midnight until 7 a.m. on Feb. 8 for the Chinese New Year countdown and concert on top of the countdown to the city’s 54th anniversary on
Feb. 16.

The concert and countdown, which will feature a grand fireworks display and lion and dragon dances, will be held today in Monumento, Bagong Silang Phase 2 and Bagumbong.

While the portion of the BMC linked to Edsa’s southbound lane and Rizal Avenue will be closed to traffic, Edsa’s northbound lane will be open to two-way traffic, said Nolan Sison, Caloocan City’s public information chief.

Motorists were advised to take the following alternate routes:

All Edsa-bound vehicles going to Samson Road should turn right on McArthur Highway, then take Pinagkatipunan Circle going to Gov. Pascual Street, and take Araneta Avenue going to Samson Road.

All city buses going to McArthur Highway will not be allowed to take the BMC route to avoid further congestion. All buses should turn right on Gen. Simon Street, left on Calle Cuatro and right on McArthur.

All vehicles from Edsa going to Sangandaan, Rizal Avenue, Manila, should turn left on A. De Jesus Street, right turn on 10th Avenue and proceed to your destination on A. Mabini Street (turn left toward Manila, turn right toward Sangandaan).

All vehicles from Rizal Avenue, Manila, should turn right on 10th Avenue, left on B. Serrano, right turn on Edsa and proceed to destination (go straight toward Quezon City,
U-turn toward McArthur Highway).