Categories
Culture

Chinese Buddhist temples of the Philippines (20)

Editors Note: This is the 20th of a series about the 36 Chinese Buddhist temples of the Philippines. Much of the information is from a thesis of Venerable Chuanmiao (Hsuan Chuang University, 2008), a Buddhist monk affiliated with the Thousand Buddha Temple in Quezon City. 20. Thousand Buddha Temple (普濟禪寺)15 Don Jose cor. Maria Clara […]

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Kaisa Page

Bangkabuhayan: Hits and misses

First published in Tulay Fortnightly, Chinese-Filipino Digest 27, no. 6 (August 19-September 8, 2014): 11. July was a very busy month for Kaisa Para Sa Kaunlaran’s Bangkabuhayan project volunteers, with several turnovers of boats and fishing gear to fisherfolk in barangays affected by Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) last November. Further complications arose when the fiberglass boat […]

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Kaisa Page

[LOOKING BACK] Kaisa at 27: A Tsinoy community’s vision, transformations

First published in Tulay Fortnightly, Chinese-Filipino Digest 27, no. 6 (August 19-September 8, 2014): 10. It is with humility and gratitude that I and fellow Kaisa Para Sa Kaunlaran members celebrate the organization’s 27th year of existence. Kaisa continues to exist and stay relevant as a builder of bridges in the community and Philippine society, […]

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Kaisa Page

Hope in a boat

First published in Tulay Fortnightly, Chinese-Filipino Digest 27, no. 6 (August 19-September 8, 2014): 8-9. Help the fishermen fish, and the whole community eats. That is our guiding philosophy when Kaisa Para Sa Kaunlaran thought of our Bangkabuhayan Project to help fishermen recover their livelihood after it was swept away during Typhoon Yolanda’s (Haiyan) rampage […]

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Origins

Tan (陳) clan grows under Philippine sun

One in every 10 Tsinoys is a Tan (陳 Chen in Mandarin). It is the most populous surname in the Chinese-Filipino community, with almost 10 percent of Tsinoys carrying the family name. In China, more than 54 million Chinese bear this surname, making it the fifth most populous there. In the Philippines, during the late […]

Categories
Culture

Chinese Buddhist temples of the Philippines (19)

Editors Note: This is the 19th of a series about the 36 Chinese Buddhist temples of the Philippines. Much of the information is from a thesis of Venerable Chuanmiao (Hsuan Chuang University, 2008), a Buddhist monk affiliated with the Thousand Buddha Temple in Quezon City. 19. Soc Yan Temple (宿燕寺)1404 F. Guerrero Street, Tondo, Manila […]

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Chinese Culture

Hungry Ghost festival

For the past couple years, car companies give big discounts or special promos during the month of August. Should you buy? Not if you believe in the Chinese ghost month. In Chinese culture, the 15th day of the seventh month in the lunar calendar is called Ghost Day or Hungry Ghost Festival (七月半 in Hokkien) […]

Categories
Culture

Chinese Buddhist temples of the Philippines (18)

Editors Note: This is the 18th of a series about the 36 Chinese Buddhist temples of the Philippines. Much of the information is from a thesis of Venerable Chuanmiao (Hsuan Chuang University, 2008), a Buddhist monk affiliated with the Thousand Buddha Temple in Quezon City. 18. Seng Guan Temple (信願寺) 1176 Narra Street, Tondo, Manila […]

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Origins

劉 Lao: the dragon raiser

With more than 65 million Chinese carrying this surname, 劉 (Lao in Hokkien, Liu in Mandarin) is certainly the fourth more populous family name in China. The origin of this surname has close links with the dragon. The earliest ancestor of the Laos was Liu Lei (劉累). He took care of the emperor’s dragons. Little […]

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Tsinoy Culture

When words fail, use idioms… Hokkien style (3)

Idioms, expressions Hokkien pronunciation Literal translation Meaning 嘴尖舌利 tsui tsiam tsi lai pointed mouth, sharp tongue a very talkative person 嘴笑目笑 tsui tsio bak tsio laughing mouth and eyes expression of  happiness as shown in one’s smiling face 三尖六角 san tsiam lak kak three sharp edges and six angles describes something with irregular shape as […]