Ateneo Celadon Chinoy Magazine, Volume 13, Issue 1 (2011-2012)

8/13/2019 Ateneo Celadon Chinoy Magazine, Volume 13, Issue 1 (2011-2012)

1/24


2/24


3/24

! "#$%&'(* %$+ Twelve years ago, Chinoy opened up the discussion of seeking the Chinese-Filipinos identity. We are Chinoys was written over entire issues, yet even after overa decades worth of discussion, we nd ourselves experiencing only brief moments oflucidity over this matter. The same questions still resound in us and in this issue we tackle them through thehistories of our forefathers and our nation. This intermingled tapestry of stories ofgenerations past brings together tales of circumstance and coincidences that unknowingly

created a subconscious identity for the community of Chinese-Filipinos. Our stories donot just tell, but rather they show through narratives and portraits in time the evolutionof our collective identity. We talk of grandfathers leaving the mainland and ourFilipina grandmothers who fell for them. We talk of purchased surnames that alleviatedsocial statuses, of emerging concoctions of mingling languages which blur culturalboundaries, of how post-war attempts at Filipino patriotism created stirrings of ethnicracism, and of how these foreign neighbors were assimilated into the local community.

In the end, we see how our generation has come so far since that time of our ancestors

when Chinese junks carried over refugees running away from cruel conditions that webegin to see that indeed, yes, we have become something new. We are no longer theChinese from the mainlands, nor are we just the Filipinos of the southern islands- weare the Chinoys, the Chinese-Filipinos who have grown to become part of this culturalheritage far more complex than what our ancestors could imagine. Whether because ofserendipitous events or historical mandates, we will always continuously nd our feet in thiscultural evolution and stay adrift as we go along with the ever changing currents of time.

Timeless tales will always have their own magic. Take some time to read our stories,

and maybe youll discover something new about yourself!

Keith Khadine NgChinoy Editor in Chief


4/24


5/24

!"#$%

Ateneo Celadon is the ofcial Chinese Filipino Organizationof the Ateneo de Manila UniversityCopyright 2010 All rights reserved.Chinoy is published twice a year and is the ofcial publication of the AteneoCeladon, located at Rm 208, Manuel V. Pangilinan Center for Student Leadership,Ateneo de Manila University, Loyola Heights, Quezon City, Philippines,Trunkline: (+632) 4266001 loc 5409.For questions, comments, clarications and suggestions, visit our website atwww.ateneo-celadon.org

FEATURE ARTICLES

Diving For PearlsRoll Call: Tan, Tan, Tan, Tan, Tan, Tan...Opening Up & Closing InRetracing Our Verbal Roots

Virtue Above All VirtuesThe Birth of a New EraThe House That Tsinoys Built

6 - 23

6 -78 -1011 - 1213 - 1516 - 1718 - 1920 - 23

CoverKeith Khadine Ng, 4 BS MESamantha Hillary Co, 2 BFA ID

Photography:Layout and Post Processing:


6/24

6 !"#$%& 2011-2012

!"#"$%&'() &*+,)-. Written by John EriguelArt by Hazel Tan

Despite the ctional tone of this article, thesestories have been based on real characters andevents. The character of Soca was based on

Yu Bon Soc, who was interviewed through hischildren Alex and Marie Young. On the otherhand, the character of Enga was based on aninterview with Xu Bao Rng together with hisgranddaughter Brigitte Lim.

I swam.Or sailed rather. China was going through civil war; there was

violence left and right, with poverty and hunger inbetween. Goodbye Mainland, Hello Pearl of theOrient.

Nine years earlier, it was April 12, 1927. Anotherday for people in the Philippines but for over 300

people in Shanghai, it was their last. Chiang Kai-Shek had ordered the killing and imprisonment ofCommunist Party members. By this time, Chinawas undergoing high political tension and the peoplewere su ff ering for it. The struggle for control ofChina lasted for about 22 more years.

Nobody wanted to live around that much hostilityand misery. Neighbors heard of a beautiful countryfrom merchants who did trading there. Indeed,the liberal Philippines was undergoing massiveimprovements in the education and health systems,under U.S. rule. Turning this sweet tale sour wasthe fact that China was still home. People left theirfriends and families. Some people left in groups,

others went alone. I left with my brother and some people in our neighborhood. Many people had wiveswho were left behind. This didnt stop them though,as they almost always remarried in the Philippines.Some even had two or three Filipina wives! Yu BonSoc (Soca) only married once in his life, and that wasto a Filipina.

Despite this eventual future, he was uncertainwhen he rst made the decision to migrate. But hetook the leap. The leap came in the form of an old,dusty boat that was de nitely larger than a canoe, butmuch smaller than the modern day ferry. The boatwas crowded; maybe a hundred of us were squeezedinto it. People, who couldnt make it, would have toleave on another day and join the next batch. Duringthe week long voyage, questions and doubts keptpopping into his head. He didnt know what awaitedhim across the South China Sea, other than greener,less bloody pastures.

Even 10 years later, uncertainty was a constant.As a child, Xu Bao Rng (Enga) was told manythings about the tropical island. The Philippineswas prosperous then; plenty of trading. It was one ofthe richest in Asiaplenty of Spaniards. At the ageof 9, Enga was somewhat oblivious to the politicsaround him though it was impossible not to witnessits eff ects. I came from a poor province a lot ofpoor people, farming kamote and rice. By the timeEnga was getting ready to leave, migrating to thePhilippines wasnt anything new. For years, peoplelike Soca were shipped to the Philippines like boxedgoods. Of course, boats werent anywhere as fast asthe airplanes that people began to take. Enga and


7/24

7 !"#$%& 2011-2012

his cousin ew to the Philippines together, basingeverything on stories theyve heard. I was very dizzy

from the plane. First time I arrived, I didnt knowwhere I was. After the disorientation, he searched forhis dad. Father had a house and a sari-sari store. Butthe search for a home continued. We moved around a lot.

The 18 year old Soca on the other hand, hit theground running. Coming from Amoy (Xiamen),I travelled light; all I needed was my body- newcountry, new home, new family, new life. By quicklybefriending established Chinese people in the area,he was able to engage in soap trading after startingoff as an errand boy. He employed and gave loans tomany Filipino and Chinese workers, slowly learningthe Filipino language along the way. There are

always opportunities; you just need to be resourcefuland adventurous. Even collecting empty bottles wasan avenue for pro t. Soca brought his cooking skillsinto di ff erent shops, eventually setting up his ownbakery inside his house. Later on, he ventured intolumber, construction and dollar exchange. Despiteall the businesses and the busyness, he found time togive money to the children and friends who visitedhim.

Most importantly, his entrepreneurial skillsallowed him to meet his future wife through hersalesman uncles. In contrast to what many Chineseparents believe today, he thought it was okay tomarry a non-Chinese. His daughter still remembersthat he once told her, Dont look for partners youwould be rich with, but instead search for partners

Santiago, he worked in a textile shop. It was hard;I work early in the morning and I study late at night.Learning three di ff erent languages at the same time

wasnt as hard though. It was easy because of thevery friendly Filipino people who helped me. WhileEnga was busy multi-tasking, Soca had his own setof problems. Five to be exact: 3 beautiful daughters,1 strong son, and 1 lazy dog named Browny. Byapplying the same techniques and strategies heused to survive the transition to the Philippines,he also survived parenthood, using any and everyopportunity available to make them smile and sharehis knowledge and experiences. He pushed themto work hard for everything like Enga did, andindeed they persevered. Well, except for Browny.

When you feel like drowning, no matter howstrong the current is or how deep the water is, justremember to paddle as hard as you can, use everychance you get to call for assistance or help another

Dont look for partners

you would be rich wih, but

instead search for partners

you wouldnt mind being

poor with.

you wouldnt mind being poor with. I didnt careif she was Chinese or not. She was very beautiful andsweet to me. My mom wanted me to marry a Chinesewoman. I didnt need to be a country away to decide

for myself because in the end, I make my own choices.

When Enga had nally settled down, he hadalready travelled from Sampaloc, to Pangasinan,to Santiago (Isabela), to Ilagan (Isabela), and hadworked in Tuguegarao. Before moving back to

When you feel like drowning, no matter how strong the current is or howdeep the water is, just remember to paddle as hard as you can, use every

chance you get to call for assistance or help another person, and admire theoceans beauty once youve survived.

person, and admire the oceans beauty once youvesurvived.

It was raining hard. Like Browny, Enga decidedto rest and just observe the scenery. So many kalesasand horses are passing through the rising ood. Thosepoor, poor horses. I hope they know how to swim.

FEATURE ARTICLES


8/24

8 !"#$%& 2011-2012

!"#$%& 2011-2012

A LOT OF PEOPLE, regardless of their light-hearted intention would say that a single-

syllabled word containing usually a maximumof ve letters, are the characteristics of a

Chinese persons surname. It would be difcultto blame them for this common misconcep-tion but because of the seemingly innite

combination of words available in the Englishalphabet (or Chinese characters if you want tolook at it that way), Chinese-Filipino surnames

tend to have a limited array of choices. Letsface it, almost all would know a Chinese-Filipi-no friend whose family name would be Tan

(the most common Chinese surname in thePhilippines), Ong, Lim, Chua, or any of

the other typical C last names.

Tan, Tan, Tan, Tan,

Tan, Tan, Tan, TanRoll Call:

Written by Enrique Yusingco

However, unlike before, most of the recent Chineseimmigrants from the mainland opted to retaintheir family names. One reason for this, was topreserve family honor or simply for practicalityssake. Another reason for the immigrants toretain their original surnames can stem fromhistory during the time of of the liberation ofthe Philippines from Spanish colonial rule.

During the Spanish Colonization era, Chineseimmigrants were heavily discriminated and unjustlytreated. In fact they were considered even lower thanthat of the Indios, the Spanish term for local Filipino.Because of this, a lot of Chinese and Chinese-mestizoswanted to attain the status of the Indios which, at thattime, was much more desirable than their own andbecoming one would have reaped a lot of more bene ts.

In order to elevate their status, one way of doingso was to convert to Catholicism. The Chinesesettlers in the Philippines who were baptized asCatholics had numerous advantages and perks overthe unbaptized Chinese settlers when it comes to

Historical Background

Art by Patricia Santos

The surnames Tan/Chan/Chen ( ), whichmeans old, and the surnames Ong/Wang/ Wong ( ), which mean king, both trace theirorigins to the royal family. Meanwhile, Lim/

Lin ( ) means man of the forest,and Chua-Choi (came from one of the three guards.

* T r i v i a


9/24

9 !"#$%& 2011-2012

FEATURE ARTICLES!"""# %&' &()*+,-.- #,/)*+,-.-01-.'+2&.3#,'-/ '''#+, '*-

.'#'4. &( '*-5,/+&. 3*+6*7 #''*#' '+1-7 3#.146* 1&8-/-.+8#9%- '*#,'*-+8 &3, #,/9-6&1+,: &,-3&4%/ *#;-

8-#


10/24

10 !"#$%& 2011-2012

Gem Fernandez (2-BS Mgt-H), Neil Guevarra (2-BS Mgt), JJ Sison (2-BS Mgt) and John Tolentino

(2-BS ME) are all of pure Chinese descent. All ofthem can speak in Hokkien, all went to variousChinese High Schools and all live in accordanceto the Chinese culture. Aside from this, theirappearance and physique exhibit the physicalattributes society dictates one generally has inorder to be considered Chinese-looking orChinito/Chinita. Despite their obvious Chineseroots, they all carry with them Filipino surnames.

When asked about the reasons why they haveFilipino surnames, they all express that their originalChinese surnames were changed into Filipino onesby their family predecessors for better businessopportunities in the Phil ippines. Reasons such as resultsof Feng Shui readings also cropped up among others.

Nowadays, they all expressed a sort of amusedresentment at the fact that people end up secondguessing their background because of theirsurnames. They said that some people ask them on

why they have Filipino surnames despite the factthat they are really Chinese. This is then followedby the assumption that they are half Chinese-halfFilipino. More than that, comments like, Chineseba siya talaga? Mukha. Pero bakit hindi Chinesename niya? [Is he/she really Chinese? It looks likeit But why isnt his/her surname Chinese?]appear in conversations with newly met people.

However, despite all these Gem, Neil and Johnexpressed that they would rather not revert back totheir Chinese family names because they do notthink it is bagay [complementary] or they do notlike the ring to it. They also said that they are alreadyused to their current surnames so they do not really

see the point of changing it into a Chinese one.

JJ on the other hand said that she would actuallywant to revert back to her Chinese surname ofSy if given the chance. However, she also saidthat this does not mean that she does not like herfamily name now. Her main reason for wanting tochange back to her original surname is becausethe Chinese nowadays are getting increasinglyin uential and respected and having a Chinesesurname would make her more of a part of this trend.

Despite their non-Chinese surnames, all of theinterviewees claim that they are proud Chinese-Filipino students. They said that ones name is not

really what makes a person truly Chinese, but it isthe culture they practice and stories behind them.

* T R I V I A

Jose Rizal, our National Hero, isactually a descendant of a Chinese

immigrant. His original familyname was supposed to be Lam-co but

his grandfather and father later onchanged the name to Mercado and

eventually to Rizal respectively .

!=-'>. (#6- +'7 #%1&.' #%% 3&4%/

?,&3 # )*+,-.-0@+%+

D'*- 1&.' 6&11&, )*+,-.- .480

,#1- +, '*- E*+%+7 B)*4#>7 &8 #,A &( '*- &'*-8

Looking at the story behind each surname (whileat times it might not be indicative of race) can tell a lotabout a persons cultural and historical background.

Chinese surnames of our immigrant ancestors,have evolved to adapt into the culture here in thePhilippines. The existence of Hispanized surnamesand name-buying has actually made it more di ffi cultnow to pinpoint who is a Chinese based on surnamealone. It has really evolved in a way that there isactually an in nite possibility to what it looks like.

In the end, it doesnt really matter what kind ofsurname a person have, what is more important isto know the lineage behind it. As such, you mustlearn to accept, be proud and respect it as it is yourresponsibility to protect and take care of it.

The Name Game

!"#$%& 2011-2012


11/24

11 !"#$%& 2011-2012

! " # $ % $ &' " ( ) * + % $ &% $

!

! " # % " &' # ( # % ) * * + ' &! , - ( . # /0 % ! &) ' ! ) ! " # 1 2 &3&4 &' ) 2 &. ( ! 5 4 ) 3&% , ) 2 ! " # 6 7 8 9 -(

In this article, we take a step back into the not-so-distant pastand examine how a nationally relevant circumstance affected the

course of the Chinese communitys history in the Philippines.

What was the Philippines, in its rst years as afree nation? The Philippines moved under theadministration of President Carlos P. Garcia in1957, after the untimely death of President RamonMagsaysay. At that point, the Philippines was anation celebrating just over a decade of freedomfrom any sort of foreign rule. However, though thismuch time had passed since the rst declaration ofindependence, the Philippine economy had yet tofully free itself from the grip of foreign in uences.

Of Acts and PoliciesThough previous presidents of the New Republic

acted towards the establishment of the Philippinesas a separate nation from its previous colonizers, the

process did not occur in one fell swoop, particularlyin the case of the economy. Acts such as the Bell TradeAct, that prohibited Filipinos from manufacturingproducts that would compete signi cantly with US-made goods, hindered the growth of the Filipinoeconomy into a truly Fi lipino one. At that momentin history, as much as 70 percent of domestic trade and80 percent of foreign trade were in the hands of aliens,principally Chinese and American. (Agoncillo, 165)[1] President Garcias Filipino First Policy aimed tocounteract the lack of local power in the economy.

In his third State of the Nation Address inthe year 1960, President Garcia spoke of theintended reforms, saying: This policy is thereforedesigned to regain economic independence. It is

a national e ff ort to the end that Filipinos obtainmajor and dominant participation in their ownnational economy. This we will achieve withmalice towards none and with fairness to all.

Essential to the success of the Filipino Firstpolicy was the Retail Trade Nationalization Act.This act, as a general rule stated that only Filipinosor corporations whose capital is 100% Filipino mayengage in retai l trade. This gained for the Philippinesestablishments such as MERALCO, acquired fromAmerican owners, and FILOIL, the rst Filipinocontrolled oil corporation. However, though theeffi cacy and implementation of this policy as historyprogressed is a di ff erent topic of discussion, it canbe said that to an extent, the objective of PresidentGarcias statement was realized during his term as

president. Parity rights e ff ectively removed much ofthe restrict ion on one part of the foreign aliens saidto be monopolizing Filipino trade, the Americans.The end result then, of the Filipino Firstpolicy, is what appeared to be an exclusion of theChinese community from the economic activitiesof the country, but most speci cally in retail.

Retail, to be precise, is de ned as the sale ofgoods to consumers, as opposed to another sellingparty and from the earliest Spanish times (perhapseven before then) until that point and time, sellingwares to consumers, or retail had been one of thecornerstones of livelihood for Chinese immigrantsliving in the Philippines. The new Retail TradeNationalization Act seemed then to be a measure


12/24

12 !"#$%& 2011-2012

!"#$%& 2011-2012

against the Chinese community residing in thePhilippines, as much as it was a provision aimed atimproving the economy of the average Filipino.The major reason for this is because of citizenship.

Aliens in the Philippines

Though by the time that the Chinese had been a partof Philippine society for what can conservatively bedescribed as a very long time, the Chinese culture had

yet to be assimilated in the culture of the Philippines.Chinese schools at the time of the Philippinesdeclaration of independence from the Americans still

stressed the Chinese culture, history, customs andlanguage and with a student population of about50,000, were seen as irreconcilable with Filipinosociety and retarded the assimilation of the Chinese(Tong, 215) [2] Though the lack of enculturationalone is enough to delineate the Filipinos fromthe Chinese, in those days however, the fact thatmany of the Chinese residing in the Philippineswere still citizens of China was the major marker inlabeling these people as the aforementioned aliens.

Several factors may have contributed to themaintenance of distance between our Chineseancestors and the Philippine community that theyentered into. Among these factors may be pridefor their home country and the lingering sense ofsuperiority that this would inevitably bring. Butregardless of the reasons for the maintenance oftheir Chinese citizenship, it was this point in historythat served as the catalyst for the integration of the

Chinese community more fully into the Filipinoculture. It is important to note though, it would notbe until much later, in Marcos era that the Chinesecommunity, as a whole, would be Filipinizedand accepted as a part of the mainstream society.

What then, was the Chinese-Fil ipinos of PresidentGarcias eras response to this? Chinese Filipinowriter, Charlson Ong, has said The Chinese hasalways been the invisible person in Philippinesociety. Seen yet not yet seen; inscrutable, unknown.He lives in the heart of the city, conducting much ofthe commerce that created a nation yet is consignedto the periphery of the collective imagination

little more than a shadow or caricature.What the quote suggests is the under-appreciationof the role that the Chinese in the Philippines,as a whole, have played in the development ofour country. Through the adversity that thenon-acceptance as a part of Filipino society hadbuilt up against the Chinese community, therewas perseverance and ingenuity in overcomingthe nationalist laws of the 1950s and 1960s.

Firstly, these laws were the cause for a migrationof the business of many Chinese. As the lawhad only strictly regulated the retail aspect ofbusiness, its implementation saw the shift of thefocus of Chinese and Chinese-Filipino business.From being retail and consumer based, theytook a step back in the process, and began to takepart in, wholesaling, light manufacturing andin the 1960s and 1970s nancial services andproperty development (Essential Outsiders) [3].

Strengthened Ties, Strengthened PeopleIronically though, the hardships brought

about by these times were what brought theChinese community closer together as theyformed associations to help protect their rights asinhabitants and businesspeople of this country. Theformation of the Federation of Chinese Chambersof Commerce occurred in order to negotiate withthe governments nationalist parties and unitethe Chinese community under a common goal.

What can be seen then, as an e ff ect of the

Filipino First policy in these years, is a double-movement of the Chinese community. There isa movement outwards, as the as-of-yet isolatedChinese people became, for the rst time, awareof their right to a role in this country and began towork towards an accepted role in Filipino society,rather than an adversarial one. But also, there is amovement inwards, where in the face of a commonhardship, the Chinese-Filipino community wasable to unite in order to protect its people.


13/24

13 !"#$%& 2011-2012

FEATURE ARTICLES

!"#!$%&'(*+!

,"!-$. !**#/Written by Arlene Chang and Janine Young

One particularly rainy day, my friends and I werewalking around campus after the end of our statisticsclass. Looking at the sky above, my friend suddenlyremarked, Ano ba ito!? May Baguio nanaman!(What the heck is this, there is a Baguio again?).There was this another time when I was with myfriend in the library; we were preparing to leave sowe can go to Katipunan to eat. As she was xing herstuff , she said to me, Can you un-saksak my laptopcharger? (Can you unplug my laptop charger?)

Conyo speak--- English teachers andgrammarians everywhere cringe at the sound of

it. Considered as an unholy mix of English andTagalog, this phenomenon is commonly heard in(but not limited to) college campuses everywhere.In linguistics, they have a term for this phenomenon;this tendency of people to mix up languages duringconversation has been called as code switching.

Code switching is more frequent amongbilingual speakers. It usually occurs more oftenwhen bilinguals converse among each other. Asin the case here in Manila, the widespread use ofEnglish have contributed to the rise of Taglish. Thismix of Tagalog and English is so commonplacethat it becomes second nature to the people. For

mix. Thus, to ful ly understand the Chinese dialecthere in the Metro, the knowledge of three languagesis needed-- Chinese, English and Tagalog.

Code Switching and IdentityChinese settlers have been in the Philippines longbefore the arrival of the Spanish. The Chinesehave played a signi cant part in the history ofthe Philippines that their in uences extend also

into the development of the local languages.Likewise, the Chinese have lived some amongthe locals for so long that Tagalog and Spanishwords have been duly absorbed into their dialect.

The Hokkien dialect here in the country hasbeen ingrained with so many loan words fromTagalog and English that it has transformedinto a new dialect in itself. To illustrate, here iswhat a normal conversation would look like:

!"#$%&' )*Father: Shobe, di tsue ba-so to gua(Little sister?, can you get me a cup?)

Language as Perceived by the Youth

To our generation, Fookien may seem like a language of the past and of our elders- onethat is used only when necessary and infrequently as well. In turn, many have grown rusty

in speaking the supposed mother tongue. How has our diminishing use of the languagechange the way we, the Chinese-Filipino youth consequently perceive and uphold our Chi-

nese heritage as a whole?

the Chinese-Filipinos living here in the country,more particularly among the youth, a similarphenomenon can be observed. But aside fromTagalog and English, Hokkien is also included in the


14/24

14 !"#$%& 2011-2012

!"#$%& 2011-2012

+,-.-# )Here are some Tagalog words that the Hokkien absorbed:

HOkKIEN TAGALOG

Sa-bun

Ki-loLo-sinTse-ke

Tu-walia

Sabon (Soap)

KiloDosena (Dozen)Tseke (Cheque)Twalya (Towel)

+,-.-# /Here are Hokkien words that the Tagalog absorbed:

TAGALOG HOKKIEN

Susi (Key)Ate (Elder sister)

BimpoHikaw

SoseAtsi

Bin-poHi-kau

Having assimilated themselves here in the country, most of the youngergenerations of Chinese-Filipino are becoming more uent in English

and Tagalog rather than Chinese. Zuleta, in her article about CodeSwitching and Identity Construction among Chinese Youth, mentionedthat English and Tagalog are becoming the rst language the Chinoysadopt. Because of this, the Chinoys are, in a sense, losing their ability toconverse in Hokkien. In order to preserve their identity, she suggestedthat perhaps the reason why Chinoy youths use code-switch as a copingmechanism- speci cally, she described the reason as to maintain anethnic identity and a sense of belongingness to an ethnic Chinesecommunity while being members of a larger Filipino community.

Lan-Nang Uwe and Generation YAmidst all these, what does this mean in the context of ourgeneration today? What does it mean exactly, to be born andraised in a household of Fookien tongues, and at the same timelive in a society teeming with English and Tagalog speakers?

Admittedly, many Chinoyteens have gotten so exposedto cultures di ff erent from theirown, whether it is through theexpansion of social networksor the rapid development ofmedia. Movies, televisionand the internet have madeinternational contact accessibleand possible, consequentlyin uencing people in aglobalized manner. English hasproved to be the most versatile

language for this, which mostpeople acquire out of necessity.Other than this, the mere factthat we live in a Filipino societybrings about plenty di ff erencesin language, culture and beliefsenough to make us distinctfrom the crowd, that probablya Chinese living in China orTaiwan would not experience.This requires us all the more toactively make a decision to eitheruphold this unique identity orotherwise discard it, and adoptanother. To integrate better insociety, we strive to achievesome level of belonging-nessthrough assimilation and mostcommonly, a compromisein culture. Filipino peersparticularly in schools

communicate most probablyin Taglish, while other a ff airsin the community requireTagalog as the means forcommuncating. Compare thisto when and where Fookienis mostly used nowadays- inthe home, in Binondo, infamily reunions and Chinoyoccassions. Because there is thisneed for us to adjust to a moreunderstandable language insociety, more and more of the

youth have seemed to overlookthe value of Lan-nang uwe.

!"#$%&' /*Me: Ma, Bi na dit gua tio pala tuition lo,kasi ou ne lo (Mom, I have to pay my tuitiontomorrow because there will be a ne already)Mother: Okay, gua tsue tse-ke to di(Okay, Ill give you a cheque)


15/24

15 !"#$%& 2011-2012

FEATURE ARTICLES

Take for instance Chinese-blooded friends CarlLee and Jon Ong (both II-BS ME), both mostly useFookien with their parents and elders only. Whenwith fellow Chinese friends, they barely talk in thelanguage, and resort to using it only when they havea secret or joke to tell in code, so as to not have theirnon-Chinese friends understand at once. Even JamesLy (II- BS ME), who was not raised in a householdof Fookien speakers as his mother is Filipino, ndssomething grand about this special language hestill feels some a ffi nity to. What matters is thatthey all do, in fact, regard Fookien as a languageof identity and of importance to themselves.

While many stereotypes are attached to speaking in

Chinese point to a rather traditional and conservativeupbringing, these three guys beg to di ff er. Actuallygetting to apply and speak the language is kindof cool because it connects you with your fellowChinese-Filipino peers, plus its funny to see hownon-Chinese people react when you start speakingin a di ff erent language, Carl shares. Also, it is greatthat I know how to speak our language because it ispart of our culture and it shows that I am proud ofit. I know that others think it is old or uncool,but for me, it isnt. Jon adds, emphasizing the morecultural value of Fookien. James, on the other hand,thinks of this additional language as a practicalasset for the future, If you can speak Chinese,

you have a higher chance of getting a better job.

Then again, we cannot deny that the language isslowly and unconsciously starting to fade into thepages of history. As more and more of the youngerChinoy generations focus on learning and adaptingto Tagalog and English, there is a legitimate concern

on where the fate of Lan-nang uwe is headed.

Carl agrees saying, I think that a lot of people inour generation dont bother learning and speakingit these days because its hard to apply the languagein the country, where people mostly converse inFilipino, English and even Mandarin, which is themore commonly taught in Chinese schools and[more] well known out of the two. James thinks soas well because kids are not taught it as much today,Its dying. Our [high] school removed it fromour curriculum. My dad said its [also] due to theage gap between parents to their children. Even

Jon goes on and elaborates what he believes saying,The only people right now in the Philippines whospeak the language are those with parents that do

Art by Hazel Tan

Bucking the Decline

As grim as it may be, the three guys are stillpositive we can change the trend, even if itwould be only one at a time. Well, at least theyactively choose to keep Fookien a part of theirlives. Bottom line is we are still Chinese, andthis runs through our blood and is manifestedin the way we live our lives, as unconscious asthese nuances may be. So take these words aspieces of advice to motivate us Chinoys to buckthis decline and celebrate our unique language.

Carl: On one part, its one way of keepingmy Chinese culture alive and at the sametime, it can prove to be useful in my lifewith friends, family and future co-workers.

Jon: It is useful in di ff erent aspects of life. I am

not really good with the language right now soI would want to develop it. Hopefully, otherpeople who know this language think the sameas I do and we could prevent it from dying.

James: This is sti ll a part of who I am, even if not100%. I know and believe that itll be useful in thefuture, so I try to learn more and more of it everyday.

To a wider extent, language is not the onlyfactor of Chinoy culture that we have the abilityto uphold. As the leaders of tomorrow, wehold the power and the choice of what culturewe want to pass on to the next generation ofChinoys. So, dear reader, what will it be?


16/24

16 !"#$%& 2011-2012

!"#$%& 2011-2012

VIRTUEabove all virtues

Art by Justin Pua

Written by Chauncey Chu

Filial Piety, in Confucian ideals, is a virtue, an active state of mind that is the embodiment ofgrave respect to ones parents. It involves taking care of the parents, providing for them, andeventually giving them an honorable burial. It is viewed as a responsibility or as a duty thateach one must fulll. It is evidently one of Chinas nest traditions, as it promotes a sense offamilial love and a call to display humanitys compassion, which is the inclination to help and

support others.

Filial Piety andthe Youth

A survey conducted through cluster samplingincluded 100 Filipino-Chinese teenagers with agesranging from 15-20 years-old, most of them studying

in Chinese schools such as Jubilee Christian Academyand Xavier, others in Ateneo de Manila University.A good number of 97 responded that they had ageneral idea of what lial piety is about. Only 16agreed that, in their own judgement, they could stillwitness lial piety being practiced in todays time,some of them even saying at rst, Im not sure.

Todays generation of teenagers are given morefreedom to express themselves, thus there is atendency for them to become more rebellious andmore independent. With adult foster care servicesgrowing and frequent news about old parents beingmistreated, time seems to show that people haveforgotten about lial piety. Its quite alarming,

especially if we take into consideration that it hascome to the point that the act of lial piety is beingamended into a law in China. The proposed law says

that the elderly can sue their children if they do notoften go home, neglect them, or not provide for theiremotional and nancial needs. Chinas populationis steadily increasing, and it is aging rapidly. Chinaholds the largest percentage of any country in theworld for the number of people aged 65 above.Because the country has a one-child policy, therewould be fewer children caring for more parents.This proposed amendment has garnered manydebates and reactions from the mass and the media.Some call it ridiculous and meaningless, while someagree to its di ff erent approach to the same goal.

Questions are being asked. Is it really rightto force children to care for their parents


17/24

17 !"#$%& 2011-2012

FEATURE ARTICLES

properly? Is it right to give the parents thepower to sue the children if they dont? Is thislaw even needed in a modern world like ours?

As for me, I rmly believe that there is somethingwrong with the law interfering with peoples privatelives in such a manner, laws are not supposed tomend broken family relationships and to changepersonal views. Children should not be forcedto visit their parents just to somehow pass on andwithhold the tradition of lial piety. The will hasto come from within them. It is only then thatthis issue will be solved. Frankly said, lial piety isdying. It is being left behind by the modernization ofsociety. Lifestyles have transformed; grown childrenno longer live with their parents; and traditions arebeing destroyed by the ever constant change that theworld is going through as time passes. The Westernculture has warped our notion of staying with ourparents: when the child comes to age wherein he is

responsible enough, he must leave home, work andlive independently. Children who do not follow thisare often laughed upon and criticized, as seen in someHollywood movies like Failure to Launch .

Although lial piety is still visibly practiced inChina, as it is an essential element in their culture, itis not as upheld as it was before. The society is givingan e ff ort to change that. There are activities held suchas Tzu Chi Foundations Mothers Day Celebrationwhich supports the value of lial piety. In last yearscelebration, thousands took part in the activity. Kidsaged four to nine were given the chance to showtheir love and gratitude to their bothers through astory-telling presentation which hoped to instill that

respect in the hearts of such young children so thatthey may grow up to be good examples and decentpeople of the society. There is also a commercialthat aired in China about lial piety calledHeavens Lunch which garnered much attention.Movements like this continue to keep lial piety inlight, but with that alone, there can be no change.

Children should not be forcedto visit their parents just to some-how pass on and withhold the

has to come from within them .

The problem with todays generation is the lack ofrespect. It may be the effect of the worlds imposedtwisted ethics on us, or it may be simply the faade

of being neutral and complacent.

In fact, it doesnt have to be just in China. The root ofthe concept of lial piety is respect- and as a universalvalue, respect isnt bordered by nationality or race.Respect becomes part of human nature. It is a formof response. The problem with todays generation isthe lack of respect. It may be the e ff ect of the worldsimposed twisted ethics on us, or it may be simply thefaade of being neutral and complacent. The focusis on us, because we teenagers are the next in line.We are the ones who will carry on the ideals andvirtues; we are the ones who will carry on the world.

We cannot blame society or the world for changingus. We can only blame ourselves, because in the end,it still goes back to how we regard this issue. Thecentral point is not merely on lial piety, but moreon the ideals behind it. We should always continueto show each other respect, as through respect therecan be a better understanding between individuals,

as through respect there can be a harmony incommunication, and as through respect there can belove. We should show these emotions to our parentsbecause they have done everything to raise us. Theyhave spent their years looking out for us, so that wecan surpass and achieve more than what they couldever do. They care for us and love us beyond reasonthat we can fathom, and only until we becomeparents ourselves will we understand all of these.

As Confucius said, lial piety is the root of all vir tues;everything good and worthy to be shared branchesfrom it. So let us continue the pursuit of righteousnessin family, society and the self, to hopefully spread thisideal of respect to many more of our generation.

Respecting Virtue


18/24

18 !"#$%& 2011-2012

Art by Kristine Fuentes !"# , # & $ - !"#Written by Charlene Chan

.+/ $% '

The Ateneo - one of the most well-known universities throughout the nation where everyonefrom all walks of life try to get into to get good education coupled with the pride of studying

in a prestigious school. This is how we stereotype the Ateneo today, but little do we knowabout the fact that a few decades or so ago, Ateneo was bested out by its rival universities in

terms of preference, especially by the Chinese-Filipino community.

If there is one thing common among the knownschools in the metro, it would be the stereotypes.Is Ateneo really just the university where rich kids go?Is it really the place where the students are mayabangand eltista? And is it really the university dominatedby Filipinos and others are merely specks of thewhole population? These are some of the stereotypeswe Ateneans have been branded with by others.Lets also not leave out the speci c communitiesfound within the Ateneo. Although it is clearlydominated by Filipino students, there are of courseother students who do not belong to the majoritysuch as those from the Chinese-Filipino community.

Two alumni of the school shared their insights onhow life as part of the Chinese-Filipino community

during their generation was like.

Mrs. Jocelyn Ting Young, BS Management (Batch1985), the mother of our very own Assistant Featuresfor Chinoy, Janine Young said that the Chinesecommunity in the Ateneo back then was pretty small,and that they were very much the minority. Theirpresence in the school was not a source of con ict,and they got along with everyone pretty well. Thesame goes with Mr. Homart Ang, BS ManagementEngineering (Batch 1983). He is the father of CeladonsVP for Communications and Publications, Hart Angand said that the main di ff erence in Ateneos Chinesecommunity before and at present was that Celadondid not exist yet during his stay in the school. Despite

being small in number relative to the total population,

the Chinese were very active in the Ateneo, as saidby Mr. Ang. They made names for themselves byearning recognition through outstanding academicand extra-curricular performance. Because of this,the Chinese students in Ateneo earned respect anddistinction from their fellow Filipino Ateneans.

Its quite a wonder that the Ateneo we know oftoday didnt seem as popular among the Chinese-Filipino families back then. One of the reasons whyparents did not send their children to Ateneo wasthe fact that it was not as known to them as muchas the other schools. The baby boomer generationconsidered the University of Santo Tomas as the mostprestigious university during their time; hence, mostof them went there for college. Moreover, De La

Salle University was the place where most Chinese-Filipino parents sent their children because it was theschool where a lot of their fellow friends also went.Since the Chinese prefer to stay within their comfortzones and mingle within the same Chinese crowds,DLSU became a popular university among them,but anyone would agree that this is very cliquish ofthem. Aside from that reason, Ateneos location wasalso quite far from those living in the downtownarea where most Chinese schools and businessesare clustered together. It was inconvenient for thoseworking parents who have also grown used to sendingand fetching their children during high school to shiftto a school where it would require them to go furtherdistances just to send their children to school. To add

ON BEING ! #$%&'$()***

ATENEO:+&( (,- .'-#$-' &.($&%/


19/24

19 !"#$%& 2011-2012

Stereotypes regarding Ateneo and its studentsexisted even during the 80s. Ateneo was deemedas a school where only Filipinos went to for college,and it ranked only secondin terms of prestige andeducation quality to other universities. However,times have changed and the Chinese have begunnexpanding their horizons further and startedl toconsider sending their children to Ateneo becausethe university began to produce more graduateswho have been successful in their endeavors. Thistransition occurred because the Chinese began tosee that the Ateneo has become a highly prestigiousuniversity that focuses on quality education and

academic excellence, hence Magis! Thus, the Ateneocommunity started attracting more Chinese studentscoming from di ff erent Chinese schools such as ICA,Xavier, Grace Christian, St. Stephens, St. Jude,etc. Moreover, as the Chinese-Filipino communityexpanded throughout the years, the birth of theirown organization started, which at present is knownas Celadon and is open to Chinese and Filipinos al ike.

Being a Chinese and a student in the Ateneo, I mustsay I am pleased with the changes with regards tothe amalgamation of the Chinese with the Filipinosand vice versa. It shows that both parties are sensitiveto one another, and that they respect one another.This is what we all need in order to break theusual Chinese stereotype and in order to establishcamaraderie. After all, this is one way of living upto Celadons vision of having a Chinese-Filipinocommunity geared towards nation building.

CELADON!%0 (,- 1,$%&) 2(-%-!%After my interview with Mr. Ang and Mrs.

Young, I began to realize that the Ateneo Celadon isa product of the expanding Chinese community in

the university. It amazes me that they take pride intheir Chinese roots that they went as far as startingtheir own o ffi cial group in the campus. This supportsMr. Angs statement when he said, the Chinesestudents who studied in the Ateneo were leaders withgreat potential and are individuals who succeed inthings they set their heart to. From this interview,I believe that the Chinese community of the Ateneothen was not any di ff erent from what it is now - theymake e ff orts to establish lasting relationships withdiff erent people and do their own thing to succeedand achieve their goals. The di ff erence I see is thefact that the Chinese community at present is nowless conservative, thus opening them up to moreexperiences and broader horizons. Even if thereare still some who are cloistered in a traditionallyChinese way of life, there are still more of thosewho became more accepting and open to change,and I believe this was one of the reasons why theChinese community in the Ateneo increased byso much compared to their number back then.

to that, most of them were not keen on having theirchildren stay at dormitories because most Chinesefamilies during those times were conservative.

FEATURE ARTICLES


20/24


21/24

21 !"#$%& 2011-2012

FEATURE ARTICLES

be invited by the rst section of the museum, theEarly Contacts. As the name suggests, Early Contactstraces the beginning of the connection betweenthe Chinese and local inhabitants. This sectionhighlights the establishment of the early tradebetween the Philippines and the di ff erent countriesin Mainland Asia, one of which was China, whichallowed cultural exchanges from business and maritalrelationships to ourish in both communities. Inhere, one can see historical records, artefacts andtrade wares that appeared during this pre-Hispaniccontact between the Filipinos and the Chinese.

./% 0()1(#& This early relationship between the Filipinosand the Chinese remained prevalent and continuedon even during the Spanish occupation of thePhilippines. After the arrival of the Spanish, a greatdeal of Chinese traders migrated to the country forbusiness purposes and also to escape the harder lifein Mainland China. The large in ux of Chinesemigrants caused widespread alarm to the outnumberedSpaniards that the o fficials decided to constrain themigrants economic a ff airs while con ning themin city ghettos called Parians. Living conditions inthe Parians were unimaginably harsh but since theChinese played a signi cant role in the economicdevelopment of the city, there were stil l allowedto trade and supply both the government and thecitizens. While majority of the Chinese merchants(called Sangley by the colonizers) budding businesses

in the economy during the dark times of Spanishoccupation in the Philippines.

!"*"#1(* !2*$2)% Exquisitely made Chinese handicraft was largelyin uenced by religion during the colonial era. Theremarkable talents of Chinese artisans were verymuch valuable in the creation of religious materialssuch as books, church ornaments, sculpture andembroidery as it began retaining Western formwhile injecting Eastern in uence in style . Just nearBahay Tsinoy is the San Agust in Church where onecan nd stone lions which were known as Chinesesymbols for protection against evil. Interestingly,

aside from religious establishments, religious guresby the name of the rst Filipino saint San LorenzoRuiz and the Venerable Mother Ignacia del Espir ituSanto who have both Filipino mothers and Chinesefathers were proofs of the developing Chinese-Filipino communities who were brought up in theCatholic religion.

'3%)4%#-% "5 $/%!/1#%&% !"332#The growing oppression of the Spaniards towardsboth the Chinese and Filipinos towards the end of

the 19th century prompted the Chinese to makeways to provide for their own. The Emergence ofthe Chinese Community section shows how theymanaged to establish communities of their own(such as the Comunidad de Chino), as headed bya Capitan Chino, for mutual protection againstSpanish atrocities. They also built hospitals (Chinese

General Hospital), cemeteries (Chinese Cemetery),schools (Anglo Chinese School), and businessgroups such as the Manila Chamber of Commercethat catered for them. From here, pioneers inbanking and industrial sectors also emerged(China Bank, Ma Mon Luk, Destillera Limtuaco)which showcased the passions and prominentChinese-Filipino values of thrift and diligence.

6# 7%5%#&% "5 8)%%9"3One would be surprised to know that inspiringand brave Filipinos like Mariano Gomez, Jose

Not only did the Chinese-Filipino people

inuence the Philippines with their culture,

but the community had also helped de-

fend the Philippines from the Spaniards.

suff ered a fatal blow from the suppression of theSpaniards, the economic and cultural trade betweenthe Chinese and the Filipinos still proved strong asthis relation acted as the economic backbone forthe rest of the colonial era. The museums Parianssection is a witness to this notable role of the Chinese


22/24


23/24

23 !"#$%& 2011-2012

FEATURE ARTICLES

A(**%)+ "5 B()% 0)1#$& (#9 0/"$"4)(C/& From the Gallery of Rare Prints and Photographs,

pictures that stood out were images captured fromold Binondo. The gallery is composed of more than500 photos with di ff erent types of subjects rangingfrom Spanish colonial rule until the Americanintervention. During these times, Binondo wasthe center of commerce. It was one of the busiestplaces in the Philippines where trades, businesses,partnerships, and interactions were all visible in thatparticular place in Manila that it would have rivalledNew Yorks Times Square.

!%)(31-& (#9 B()% 0/1*1CC1#% D/%**

!"**%-$1"#& More than just the culture, there were also thein uence of Chinese in goods and products. Familiarto us would be the gunpowder, umbrellas, slippers, reworks, mah-jong, and also porcelain wares.Some of these porcelains were also displayed in theCeramics gallery of the museum. Most of these werefrom the 10th century to the 17th century whichre ected the timeline of the Tang, Sung, Yuan,Ming and Ching Dynasties, on particular eras inthe Philippines. Porcelains werent the only specialthings on display; there were also a rare Philippineshell collection in one of the rooms. These shells arevery unique and special compared to normal shellswe see. One can see here the popular Gloria maris,

the golden cowrie, the sundial, and the rare Cypreavalencia, which was donated by Henry Tong.

.&1#"+& 1#@($1"# E21*91#4 Tsinoys in Nation Building is the newest addition

to the numerous sections of the museum. It givesneat pictures and amazing holograms of the gradualtransformation of the Chinese-Filipino communityfrom the illiterate stowaways to the immigranttraders and to the modern-day Chinese-Filipino

nation builders. This section gives tribute to thephilanthropic e ff orts of the Tsinoys such as themuseums founding institution, the Kaisa Para saKaunlaran, Inc., and the breakthrough projectsof the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chamberof Commerce and Industry, Inc., all of whomworked for community-based projects and otherworthwhile enterprises. This gradual change andintegration contributed to di ff erent beliefs andin uences that the Tsinoys are currently practicing.

Bahay Tsinoy tells the tale of the early Chinesewho were the foreigners in this island touted as thePearl of the Orient. The story progresses to tell us

their contributions to the struggle for identity andthe creation of the communities we know of today.More than just a house full of ancient Chineseartefacts and pictures, the museum becomes amirror to our own stories and a re ection of thespirit of Chinese in uences in the rich tapestry ofthe Philippine history. As amazing as it if to see theintricate interactions between these two cultures,the museum is a reminder of how our forefatherswere able to create their own way of survival,while surpassing the Spanish colonization, anddeveloping a history with their own names. It is anarchitectural marvel that houses relics and picturesof times long gone, but more than that is a bridgethat connects the modern day Chinese-Filipinocommunity to stories of their own ancestors.

!"#$% '()*+, - ./"01(22"3 4*"+"#"3 5% 6)+ (0 '5#"7

2(0* 8593 :*1*%%5#; 0(1 R*25)("0% (0 S"9)>*5%) .%(5 R51(52(I7(0/ '>(0*%*0*%%F T"#+#*1>) U*)1FV S?#(0/*#3LE-EF L-B7-NF =#(0)F W '>(#")3 T50(*23 50+ .0)>"0; R*(+FQ%%*0)(52 X9)%(+*#%, '>(0*%* 50+ Y*Z% (0 )>*["+*#0 4#50%\"#]5)("0 "\ S"9)>*5%) .%(550+ '*0)#52 Q9#"?*F S*5))2*, J0(K*#%(); "\ !5%>(0/)"03 -AA^F -CD7^WF =#(0)F


24/24

!"#$%& 2011-2012

Documents

Ateneo Celadon Chinoy Magazine, Volume 13, Issue 1 (2011-2012)