The Chinese Filipino Business Club, Inc. announced that on Sunday morning, January 22 (the first day of the Chinese New Year), a large crowd of people were gathered along the banks of the Pasig River in Chinatown.

In partnership with various organizations, the “Philippine-China Dragon Boat Race" was held for the first time. The Association sponsored a dragon boat and the Chairman of the Board of Directors, Mr. Stephen Sia, was on-site to cheer on the 20 teams participating in the dragon boat race.

The event was sponsored by 14 major Chinese community organizations, corporations and individuals. Twenty dragon boat teams from all over the country belonging to the Philippine Boat Association participated in the competition. After nearly three hours of fierce competition, Team Alliance of Masters, Team PDRT Fire Blades, and Team Rampage A were awarded the first, second, and third places, and were presented with medals by Chairman Liu Shaoqiang.

菲華工商總會訊：一月二十二日（農曆正月初一）星期日上午在華人區巴石河岸，沿路人潮如湧，這是為了慶祝和宣傳優秀的中華傅統文化，推動菲中兩國及人民的傳統友誼，配合中國駐菲大使館和馬尼拉市政府開展慶祝癸卯新春系列聯歡活動之一，由馬尼拉市政府、馬尼拉市華人區發展委員會、馬尼拉華人區描籠涯協會聯合主辦，菲律濱舟艇聯合會協辦，首次隆重舉行「菲中同慶迎新春，同舟共濟賽龍舟」比賽。本會參與贊助一艘龍舟，理事長謝國萬親臨現場，為參加龍舟比賽的二十支船隊加油打氣。

馬尼拉市華人區發展委員會主席蔡臻蔚，馬尼拉華人區描籠涯協會主席劉少強和部分描籠涯主席，以及來自菲華社團領導，各界人士，菲華民眾近千人觀看了這場別開生面的划龍舟比賽。馬尼拉華人區描籠涯協會主席劉少強，Justice Jose Abad Santos General Hospital 院長Dra. Merle D. Sandalan等先後致詞，向全體華人、華僑和現場民眾恭祝農曆新年快樂，兔年吉祥。

此次活動共獲得十四個華社主要社團、企業及個人贊助。有來自全國各地隸屬菲律濱舟艇協會的二十支龍舟隊參加競賽。經過近三小時的激烈競爭，最後由Alliance of Masters隊、PDRT Fire Blades隊、Rampage A隊分獲冠軍、亞軍和季軍，由劉少強主席分別頒發獎牌。

圖片說明：

上圖：出席貴賓合影。

中左圖：劉少強主席（左），Merle D. Sandalan院長（中）向理事長謝國萬頒感謝狀。

中右圖：理事長謝國萬在承諾牆上簽名。

下圖：本會贊助的龍舟。