President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Sunday called on Filipinos, including Filipino-Chinese, to examine the “cultural and historical richness” brought about by the celebration of Chinese New Year in the country.

In his message on the celebration of Chinese New Year, Marcos described the celebration as “a new dawn that symbolizes our boundless wishes for prosperity for ourselves and our society.”

He said such festivals allow everyone to recognize ties that bind different cultures together as “a family, community, and nation.”

“As we observe this occasion, let us delve into the cultural and historical richness that has made our nation the colorful and vibrant society that it is today,” Marcos said.

He also enjoined the public to focus on the “common thread” that reaffirms the bonds of Filipino and Chinese kinship and friendship, which according to him, helped the former “withstand all challenges and overcome ordeals that have come our way.”

“Truly, I am glad to begin this fresh chapter with you all—especially with our Filipino-Chinese communities in the country—in securing the good fortune, joy and harmony that will be our guiding light in writing our shared history anew,” he added.

Marcos also expressed hope that the occasion reminds everyone of the “blessings we have at hand” and inspires them to “exercise deeper compassion for those who have less in life.”

“As Filipinos, let us work hand-in-hand and be renewed with a sense of solidarity, from which our hopes for a better tomorrow will spring forth,” he said.

In a video message to the Chinese-Filipino community on Jan. 16, Marcos told the Filipino-Chinese community that a “better tomorrow” will come for the Philippines and China.

“Let us welcome the Year of the Rabbit with high hopes and positivity knowing that a better tomorrow awaits us. A better tomorrow that is founded on unity, peace, and cooperation,” Marcos said.

On Jan. 16, Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian hosted a reception welcoming the Chinese New Year.

Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and Vice President Sara Duterte were among the officials who delivered well-wishes during the event.

Chinese New Year, also known as the Lunar New Year, is one of the events China and Chinese communities around the world celebrate with lucky holiday decorations, traditional lion and dragon dances and colorful fireworks.

It has no fixed date in the Gregorian calendar but Chinese New Year is always between Jan. 21 and Feb. 20.

This year, it falls on Sunday, Jan. 22, and ushers in the Year of the Rabbit, which symbolizes happiness and good fortune.

Many members of the Filipino-Chinese community celebrate the Chinese New Year in Binondo, the world’s oldest Chinatown acknowledged in 1954 as a permanent settlement of Chinese immigrants during the Spanish rule. (PNA)