Real Talk: Chinese Filipinos ARE Still Filipinos
It's the Chinese New Year once again. Some ignorant people have their ill feelings towards Chinese Filipinos, never mind the long history of Chinese immigrants who have become Filipinos. A simple classroom history lesson to a Google search, will tell us what it meant to be a Filipino.
What does it mean to be a Filipino?
It's often said that Filipino is more of a nationality than a race. Here's the definition of what it means to be a Filipino:
1
: a native of the Philippine Islands
2
: a citizen of the Republic of the Philippines
3
: the Tagalog-based official language of the Republic of the Philippines
Filipino adjective
According to the current constitution, these define what makes one a Filipino:
Section 1. The following are citizens of the Philippines:
[1] Those who are citizens of the Philippines at the time of the adoption of this Constitution;
[2] Those whose fathers or mothers are citizens of the Philippines;
[3] Those born before January 17, 1973, of Filipino mothers, who elect Philippine citizenship upon reaching the age of majority; and
[4] Those who are naturalized in accordance with law.
Section 2. Natural-born citizens are those who are citizens of the Philippines from birth without having to perform any act to acquire or perfect their Philippine citizenship. Those who elect Philippine citizenship in accordance with paragraph (3), Section 1 hereof shall be deemed natural-born citizens.
Section 3. Philippine citizenship may be lost or reacquired in the manner provided by law.
Section 4. Citizens of the Philippines who marry aliens shall retain their citizenship, unless by their act or omission, they are deemed, under the law, to have renounced it.
Section 5. Dual allegiance of citizens is inimical to the national interest and shall be dealt with by law.
In short, it's not about "Pinoy DNA" or "Pinoy blood" but being a citizen of the Philippines. A study of Filipino history should clarifying things. The term "Filipino" was only given to Spaniards born in the Philippines. The natives were called Indios. Unsurprisingly, majority of Filipinos are descended from either Malaysians or Indonesians. If one went to Malaysia or Indonesia, the ethnic Chinese community also call the ethnic Malays and Indos as "huan-a". The writer Carlos Madrid also gives this information on the term Filipino:
Two terms were used to differentiate the origin of the Spaniards residing In the 19th century colonial Philippines. A Spaniard born in Spain was referred as a peninsular, meaning born in the Spanish peninsula. In contrast, a Spaniard born in the Philippines was referred as an insular if in the Philippines, or a Filipino if in Spain. That difference had consequences in the colonial apparatus, clearly in favor of the peninsulares who enjoyed certain privileges and could be assigned to posts of higher responsibility.
Since the independence of the Americas in the first two decades of the 19th century, the Spanish government begun to distrust the insulares of her colonies, since they were the ones who, as a social class, commanded the independence processes. In the Philippines, revolts for independence such as the Noval uprising in the 1830s had insulares as protagonists.
The term insular can be found as a way of self-identification on the side of a particular person. In the Marianas, Chamoru-Spanish mestizos could refer to themselves in certain official documents as español insular, meaning “Spaniard born in the islands” or “son of the country.” In such cases, the term was probably used to reinforce their stand before the bureaucracy of the colonial government, which was always represented by peninsulares.
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After that, the term Filipino was adapted to all people who are citizens of the Philippines. That means even if the person was a Chinese, a Spanish, or any ethnicity (majority are Malays and Indos by descent) if they're citizens of the Philippines. I remember my Filipino teacher in fourth year high school--back during the K+12 days. She mentioned that the hero Jose Rizal (José Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda) was really Chinese by blood. Does one need to be born with "all Filipino blood" to be truly Filipino? Well, the answer is no. Rizal's family were both Chinese, although bearing Spanish surnames due to the Philippines' status as a Spanish colony. Rizal fought for reforms for equal treatment between the Spaniards and the non-Spaniards in the Philippines.
That means there's a difference between Mainland Chinese and Chinese Filipinos. Chinese Filipinos who do TNT (tago na tago) or illegal settling in China, will still be considered Filipino. If one tries to raise up the issue of Guo Hua Ping (Alice)--her citizenship is dubious if her papers aren't valid. Alice couldn't be used as an excuse against Chinese Filipinos.
The history of ethnic Chinese involvement with liberating the Philippines
There were other people of Chinese heritage that fought the 1896 Revolution against Spanish rule. If one could look at the list of people during the revolution--some of them had Chinese blood. Yes, they had Chinese blood but they should be considered Filipino by citizenship!
Chinese contributions
From the voluminous archival materials on the Philippine revolution, ethnic Chinese contributions to the Philippine revolution include direct participation, financial assistance, and procurement or provision of material resources needed by the revolutionaries.
Direct participation. The list of Chinese who directly participated in the Philippine revolution more than 100 years ago and stood shoulder to shoulder with other revolutionists included more than just Gen. Jose Ignacio Paua, the only pure-blooded Chinese general in Aguinaldo’s army.
There was also another unidentified Chinese who served as Paua’s assistant when he built the arsenal and foundry in Imus, Cavite.
Likewise, “General Jose Paua’s biography,” an article written by Shi Gong which appeared under the biographies section of Singapore Nan-An Village Associations’ 1977 journal, mentioned there were 3,000 Chinese revolutionists recruited and led by Paua.
Aguinaldo himself said the Chinese who supported the Philippine revolution were many and those who directly joined the ranks of soldiers were also numerous. Filipino revolutionists considered the Chinese as allies in the common fight for freedom.
One of the 13 martyrs of Cavite was Francisco Osorio, son of a prominent Chinese merchant. Historian Rafael Guerrero noted: “Calmly, Chino Osorio did not weep even up to his execution.”
Various sources considered Francisco a Chinese mestizo, most cited his father as pure Chinese. Since both his sons actively participated in the revolution, it is not farfetched to surmise that the Osorio patriarch himself might have been a direct supporter or sympathizer, especially when we consider the fact that Francisco was accused of buying 250 guns and concealing them in his house.
Philippine Revolutionary Records (PRR)mentioned the list of Filipino revolutionists implicated or captured by the Spaniards, which includes 160 names of Binondo residents (like Gregorio Sy Quia, father-in-law of the late President Elpidio Quirino); the organization of a regiment in Binondo; ammunitions discovered in the Binondo cemetery; police discovered in inconspicuous and inaccessible back rooms of small native and Chinese shops bolos being made and insurgent uniforms manufactured.
Financial assistance. Chinese financial contributions to the Philippine revolution were largely solicited by Paua. Meticulous records of the contributors and the amounts reflect the big contributions brought in by the Chinese.
This includes the Chinese in Nueva Caceres (part of Naga City today) who bought P100,000 worth of public bonds; the Chinese in Albay and Camarines who contributed P44,790. In addition, Paua reported to Aguinaldo that he had personally solicited for the revolutionary coffers P220,000 in Southern Luzon.
The PRR reported that Paua delivered to the national treasury a staggering 400,000 Mexican dollars, the largest cash sum ever collected by an authorized agent of the Philippine Republic, the main source of the contribution of which came from the rich mestizos and Chinese merchants.
John Taylor’s Philippine Insurrection pointed out that voluntary contributions from a number of provinces show that the Chinese contributions were twice as that given by anybody else in the town.
Moreover, in the list of those who gave monthly contributions to the revolutionary coffers were unmistakable Chinese names: Tan-Cao, Tao-Chien, Loa Tico, Tan Dianco, Loa-Siengco, Yu-Dongco, Lao-Chichon. Other Chinese-sounding names in the list were Angguico, Guison, Guason, Quionson, who may be pure Chinese or at the very least, mestizos.
Material resources: Supplying materials needed by the revolutionists appeared to be the more prevalent form of assistance given by the Chinese.
For instance, General Santiago Alvarez, in his work on the Katipunan, recounted that on Aug. 26, 1896, after Bonifacio signaled the start of the revolution in Balintawak, the Katipuneros moved to Mandaluyong, where two Chinese-owned stores gave them “two packets of La Insular cigarettes, two boxes of matches, five cans sardines, and P5 in cash.”
The PRR mentioned that the Chinese supplying material resources were recorded in many places including Angeles, Malolos, Tayug in Pangasinan, Catmon in Cebu, Ilocos, Vigan, San Fernando in Pampanga, Samar, Iloilo, Masbate, Iba in Zambales, Tarlac, Apalit in Pampanga, La Union, Calumpit in Bulacan.
Aside from cash contributions and other donations, supplies provided included rice, oil, salt, dried pork, carabaos, and other food. They also helped solicit gunpowder, matches, pen and paper, clothing and hats, and medicine.
There were also Chinese who helped transport the goods of the revolutionaries. In fact, some Chinese were even sent by Antonio Luna to cut dried leather and bake galletas for the revolutionary army.
Revolutionists were also supplied with falsified stamps and seals of the Spanish government to enable them to travel.
The Chinese and the Filipino-American war
The book Republic or Empire: American Resistance to the Philippine War by Daniel Schirmer, revealed that William McKinley’s final decision to colonize the Philippines was actually motivated by America’s ambition to conquer China, to use the Philippines as jumping board to penetrate the great supermarket that is China, invade its territory, and eventually conquer China.
This illustrates even more clearly how closely intertwined are the destinies of the Philippines and China. The Philippines and China shared common fates, fought common enemies, and aspired for common development goals and were in fact “tied together in one umbilical cord,” to use a Filipino expression.
Tulay Dec. 4-17, 2018 issue reported how the bronze Balangiga church bells – looted by American soldiers in 1901 and finally returned to the Philippines in December 2018 – are reminders of an interesting vignette in the intertwining destinies of the Filipinos and the Chinese.
The Balangigans and the Chinese in Beijing crossed paths in this historical event: American soldiers had wantonly pillaged and murdered innocent Chinese civilians when they – and troops from other Western powers – put down the Boxer Uprising in China.
Afterward, the same soldiers had gone to Eastern Samar to raze the town, rape and massacre its people, in retaliation for the killing of 48 of the 74 men in the Ninth Infantry by Filipino fighters and guerrillas.
By killing the American soldiers, the Balangigans had unwittingly avenged the deaths of the Chinese. Most importantly, there is the tantalizing possibility of how the Filipino revolutionists could have won the war against the Americans (just as they won the war against Spain), had the United States pulled out a bigger contingent of soldiers from the Philippines to send to China to quell the Boxer Rebellion.
Speaking of which, it's said that some of my ancestors settled in the Philippines during the late 1800s to early 1900s. Some of my ancestors died during the war. That means some of them may have settled during the Spanish colonization.
Also, one of the financiers of the revolution and patriot, was an ethnic Chinese man named Roman Ongpin. True, Ongpin is obviously a Chinese surname. However, we can take a look into the history and learn how Ongpin can be considered a Filipino hero:
Roman Ongpin, a symbol of resistance, defied oppression by Spanish and American colonizers, and generously financed Filipino revolutionaries.
Son of an immigrant self-made entrepreneur from the rural county of Jinjiang (pronounced “Chingkang” in Hokkien), Quanzhou City, Fujian province, his story echoes the struggles faced by many highly-educated and affluent yet still discriminated Chinese mestizos during the tumultuous colonial period.
Ongpin risked his safety and high socio-economic status to support the fight for Philippine freedom.
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Another during the Second World War were Vicente Lim and Wensceslao Vinzons:
General Vicente Lim: Warrior for Liberation
General Vicente Lim’s defiant resistance during the Japanese military occupation solidified his legacy as a warrior hero for Philippine liberation.
A martyr, his military prowess and leadership during the Battle of Japan and in the Filipino resistance movement inspired others in the fight for freedom during the dark years of World War II.
The multi-awarded General Vicente Lim was executed by the Japanese military at the Manila Chinese Cemetery when he was aged 56.
Wenceslao “Bintao” Vinzons: Chinese Mestizo Statesman & WWII Guerrilla Leader
The patriotic statesman hailed as “the Father of Student Activism in the Philippines,” brilliant youngest delegate to the 1935 Philippine Constitutional Convention and Camarines Norte Governor Wenceslao Vinzons was a Chinese mestizo whose Chinese family name was “Sia.” As a student activist leader, the founded the “Young Philippines” political party which campaigned for the granting of Philippine independence from American rule.
His paternal grandfather Serafin Vinzons (Chinese name “Sia Hui Tam”) was editor of Manila’s anti-Qing Dynasty revolutionary Chinese-language newspaper “Kong Li Po” and his father was Gabino Vinzons (Chinese name “Sia Din Long”).
Vinzons stood at the forefront of the fight against Japanese military forces who invaded and occupied the Philippines. His unwavering commitment to justice and freedom was legendary.
He led a guerrilla force in the Bicol region that killed 3,000 Japanese soldiers, but he was eventually betrayed, captured and executed at only age of 31 along with his five family members (his father, wife, sister, and two children).
The pride of the Battle of Yultong
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True, the guy who fought the Chinese Communist soldiers was a Filipino. He was a Filipino of Chinese descent. In the end, Yap may have had Chinese descent but he died a Filipino soldier. A man of Chinese descent brought pride and joy to the FIlipinos during the Korean war. The Philippines was newly freed from the American Commonwealth, four years after July 4, 1946.
KOREA.net tells us of this story of the brave Chinese Filipino colonel:
Bravery during Korean War
Yap was a member of PEFTOK's 10th Battalion Combat Team. Close to midnight on April 23, 1951, Chinese forces attacked a Puerto Rican regiment on the team's Western flank. As the Puerto Rican troops failed to reconsolidate their lines, the enemy advanced up the PEFTOK unit's flank. A platoon positioned itself on a hill on the team's flank observing the Korean village of Yuldong. While the Chinese forces attacked, this bought time for Yap to launch a counterattack to rescue both the platoon and its leader. Both the platoon leader and Yap were killed in action, but they saved the platoon from annihilation and stopped the enemy from reaching the exposed flank of the team.
Yap's daughter said, "He left for the Korean War on Sept. 15, 1950, when I was only 3, so my young mind missed knowing or experiencing him as a father or a person. What images I have of him are only the pictures and stories I've heard from his relatives and friends. He was fond of music, dancing and partying."
"He would frequently write letters to my mom while abroad. After receiving his training in tank warfare in Fort Knox, Kentucky, in 1948, he brought home a beautiful red leather bag for my mom, big dolls for me and my sister, a Leica Camera, an RCA phonograph and several records, the music from which we grew up with. The stories, photos and things he left behind are how I remember him."
On her fondest memory of her father, Yap-Aganon said, "Since I was just 3 (when he left for Korea), the only memory I have with my father was when I tried to pull my baby sister from the bed. Luckily, someone saw me and told him about it. He punished me by making me sit at a corner facing the wall. That night was his last with us. His men arrived, took him to the pier and left for Busan to fight in the Korean War. That's the only memory I have of my father, and the only memory that made me realize how strict he was. But other stories I've heard about him made me feel that though he was strict, his love for people surpassed all else."
Talk about crazy! It took a Filipino of Chinese descent to lead Filipino soldiers to beat Chiense soldiers. This was the Korean War. What would've have happened if it wasn't for Yap's brave sacrifice?
Let's talk about Filipino companies hitting the world market
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What I recall was that some of my classmates discrimated Chinese Filipinos while eating Jollibee. It was done out of ignorance. They didn't know that the owner of Jollibee was a Chinese Filipino. However, sentiments began to change from a general dislike of Chinese Filipinos to actually praising their Chinese Filipino peers. One of the statements was like, "What's Chinese without mathematics?" It was during the Friendster stays when I saw different views of Chinese Filipinos. Of course, some old generation Chinese Filipinos still tried to have a sinocentric view, even while in the Philippines. I blame some old school Chinese Filipinos as to why sinophobic tendencies were rampant back in the day. Now, the celebration of Filipino Pride in the internationl market, is one again due to a Chinese Filipino.
Jollibee said its recent opening in Canada, the brand’s 100th store in North America, forms part of the group’s aggressive expansion plan for 2024.
“Being ranked as the second fastest growing brand in the world validates the effective work of all the leaders and teams of Jollibee – past and present – whose commitment to the brand and its customers has helped drive the brand’s sustained growth over the years,” Jollibee Group president and CEO Ernesto Tanmantiong said.
Brand Finance’s latest annual brand ranking report showed that Jollibee surged by 51 percent to $2.3 billion in brand value, rising to rank 17 from rank 20 in this year’s Global Restaurant Rankings.
It also landed fifth place in the strongest restaurant brand category, with its rating improving to AAA from AA-.
Further, Jollibee was the sole Philippine brand listed in the 2024 Top 25 Most Valuable Restaurant Brands and Top 10 Strongest Restaurant Brands.
“Jollibee is the second fastest-growing brand this year, with its brand value up 51 percent to $2.3 billion, while maintaining a strong brand position in its domestic market,” Brand Finance said.
Brand Finance said that with its expanding range of children-centric offerings, Jollibee is poised to maintain its hometown popularity.
Jollibee has faced on against bigger giants, in their territory. Jollibee was proven that Filipinos can evolve beyond the status quo. After all, Chinese Filipinos are still Filipinos. Culture and traditon aren't static forces. Chinese women barely knew their rights until modernization came. Filipino people can overcome bad traits like habitual tardiness and procrastination. The Chinese Filipino community has helped evolve Filipinos for the better. There's something good to learn from someone. It's like Chinese parenting has evolved overtime from taking filial piety the wrong way, to teaching filial piety without blind loyalty.
