MANILA - Businesses engaged in construction and real estate will be lucky in the Year of the Fire Dog, which the Chinese community will welcome later this week, a feng shui master said Wednesday.

However, "it is not the year" of restaurants, after the food industry benefited from the dominant fire element in the last 2 years, Francis Gaw told ANC's Early Edition.

Those born in the Year of the Rabbit will be lucky this year while those born in the Year of the Dragon will be unlucky, because their sign "contradicts" with the Dog, Gaw said.

"I recommend for those people born in the Year of the Dragon to remain in status quo, meaning no new investments, no new business. Don't lend people money because it's not a good year for them," Gaw said.

While there are "much higher opportunities" for business growth for those born in the Year of the Rabbit, Gaw said they should still be cautious.

Gaw recommends preparing a basin of uncooked rice on the eve of Chinese New Year for good luck.

He also recommends placing over the rice 2 pineapples, 2 stalks of pechay, 12 "ang pow" or red money envelopes, 12 pieces of kiat kiat fruit and 12 coins.

The two pairs of pineapples and vegetables represent husband and wife, he said.

Instead of a dragon dance, Gaw recommends a lion dance because the dragon sign is unlucky this year.

"Feng shui is very logical. Sometimes we need to use our common sense," he said.

As the Chinese zodiac switches into the Year of the Dog later this week, Hong Kong feng shui experts predict anything but a walk in the park for global leaders.

Born in another dog year, 1946, United States president Donald Trump faces a run of bad luck, according to soothsayers, as his zodiac animal clashes with 2018's canine theme.

Feng shui -- literally meaning "wind-water" -- is influential in many parts of Asia, where people adjust their lives and carefully position items such as a cup of wine or pieces of crystal in offices and homes to maximize their luck and wealth.

The philosophy says that all events are dictated by the varying balances in the five elements that make up the universe: metal, wood, water, fire and earth.

Trump's birth date makes him a "fire dog", but 2018 is an "earth dog" year, a mismatch of elements.

The fire in Trump's own birth chart will foment and affect his health, says feng shui master Thierry Chow, while his words -- the fire element also represents speech -- may bring about "real problems" and tangible consequences.

"The elements are too much fire and too much earth, so that's going to be causing him imbalance in his fortune," Chow said.

Chow uses the "flying star" system to make her predictions based on constellation positions, foreseeing more tensions between the US and North Korea, which is afflicted by the most malevolent number five star.

She also warned of the risk of crossed wires between Trump and China on the thorny issues of trade and the economy.

"The seventh star is falling onto the east side -- the star affects communication, it causes gossip and misunderstanding," says Chow.