During our research on old names of places in the Philippines mentioned in ancient Chinese records, we encountered a pair of names – 沙瑶 (Sayao) and 呐嗶嘽 (Dapitan). 呐嗶嘽 is easy to locate because Dapitan is pronounced almost exactly like Na-pi-tan in Hokkien or Na Bi Dan in Mandarin. This Zamboanga del Norte city is […]
The title of this column is the title of the statement signed and released by 31 women, all awardees of The Outstanding Women in the Nation’s Service (TOWNS). I take pride in being one of the signatories of this statement that comes amid assaults by the President no less on various sectors, including women. TOWNS […]
Peng Jia Zhen (彭家珍) of Jin Tang (金堂) municipality in Sichuan (四川) province enrolled in the Sichuan Defense Preparation School to specialize in the armed forces and armaments. He joined the Chinese Tong Meng Hui (同盟會), a revolutionary organization against the Manchu Dynasty formed by Sun Yat-sen in Tokyo, Japan. His father wrote him several […]
I agree with Father Ben Sim’s (Angkong Ben to many of his constituents) lament: Why is the Christ in Christmas being forgotten in the frenzy of cards, gifts, carols and the like? Instead of the traditional songs like “Silent Night,” “Joy to the World,” “O Holy Night,” “Adeste Fideles,” children today are more familiar with […]
Catholicism and the Catholic church in the Philippines have been important factors in effecting the integration of the Chinese in the Philippines into the mainstream society since the early Spanish period in the 16th century. The Spanish friars were eager not only to Christianize the local Chinese but also further evangelize and convert the Chinese […]
At the 30th Anniversary General Assembly of the Philippine Association for Chinese Studies last Dec. 2, four “ambassadors” were given recognition. I was tasked by PACS president Dr. Tina Clemente of the University of the Philippines to introduce them. It was an honor and privilege to present the honorees, considering their stature. But as Dr. […]
Don’t believe everything you read. Legitimate media have long made it a point to check and double check facts before publication or broadcast. This assures readers that the news they get is credible. On the other hand, it seems anyone who has anything to say can post it on the internet, and voila! Servings of […]
In 1128 AD, the Jin (晉 1115-1234) army surrounded the city of Jin Ning (晋寧) of Southern Song (1127-1279) ruled by the Han Chinese. It sent Zhe Ke Qin (折可求), one of the generals who had surrendered, to convince Xu Hui Yan (徐徽言), the leader of the city’s defenders, to also surrender. Xu was Zhe’s […]
The whole nation’s attention last week was riveted on the 31st ASEAN summit drama. The Philippines played host to the meeting of heads of state of member nations of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, who were joined by China Premier Li Keqiang, United States President Donald Trump, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and Canadian Prime […]
This saga all started from the name of a special mami and siopao restaurant along C. M. Recto Avenue near Avenida – Pinsec House. Pinsec sounds Chinese. But what does it mean? What is its Chinese origin? Is it related somehow to pansit, the popular Filipino dish? After consulting with a local-born Tsinoy who is […]