China is a country of festivities. Each particular occasion demands its own corresponding celebration. There are at least six “Great Festivals” to break the monotony of the Chinese everyday life: New Year or Spring Festival (1st day of 1st month), the Lantern Festival (15th of the 1st month), Festival for the Dead (5th of the […]
First published in Tulay Fortnightly, Chinese-Filipino Digest 23, no. 22 (April 19-May 9, 2011): 5. The surname 葉 (Ye in Mandarin, Yap in Hokkien), ranks 42nd among surnames in China and 16th in the Philippines. This is deceiving because there are actually more of the clan members than meets the eye. The surname’s origin underwent […]
First published in Tulay Monthly, Chinese-Filipino Digest 1, no. 7 (December 11, 1988): 6. “Walang bahay na walang butas.” Ito ang kawikaan ng dagang-dingding. Kahit na bahay na kongkreto ay puwedeng pasukin at kahit na munting butas ay puwedeng magamit na lusutan. Ang kaisipang ito ang sanhi ng maraming korupsiyon at kaguluhan sa ating lipunan. […]
First published in Tulay Fortnightly, Chinese-Filipino Digest 23, no. 20 (March 22-April 4, 2011 Tulay Fortnightly): 5-6. Various family associations in the Philippine Chinese community represent more than one surname. Yet, only one of them truly represents two surnames where clan members actually descended from a common ancestor: Chan (曾) and Cu (邱). This is […]
First published in Tulay, Chinese-Filipino Digest 1, no. 3 (August 1998): 6, with original title, “One Year at Kaisa.” Kaisa Para Sa Kaunlaran had its baptism of fire on that infamous 28th day of August 1987. The organization was launched at the National Press Club supposedly in a press conference that day. Unfortunately, Gringo Honasan […]
Excerpted from Tulay Monthly, Chinese-Filipino Digest 1, no. 6 (November 13, 1988), p. 7. Throughout the long history of the Chinese presence in the Philippines, they have made significant contributions to Philippine life – not just in the field of commerce but more importantly to the propagation of Christianity and the perpetuation of the Filipino […]
First published in Tulay Montly, Chinese-Filipino Digest 1, no. 5 (October 7, 1988), p. 7. The Chinese Filipino, up to this point in time, can consider himself lucky. The democratic processes work for him. He has been welcomed into the body politic of the nation. The discrimination and second-class citizen treatment are exceptions rather than […]
First published in Tulay Fortnightly, Chinese-Filipino Digest 23, no. 18 (February 15-March 7, 2011): 5. Although Chinese surname 莊 (Ching in Hokkien, Zhuang in Mandarin) ranks outside the 100 most populous surnames in China, it ranks 12th among Chinese in the Philippines. We can trace its origin to Chu Zhuang Wang (楚莊王). He was king […]
First published in Tulay Monthly, Chinese-Filipino Digest 1, no. 4 (September 11, 1988): 10. Part II As a result of higher education and closer contact with Filipino and Western values, younger generations of ethnic Chinese women have rising expectations of sexual equality. Unlike their mothers, they complain today of sexual discrimination outside of the home […]
First published in Tulay, Chinese-Filipino Digest 1, no. 3 (August 1988): 10. The history of Chinese women in Southeast Asia has been a recent one. Most of the early Chinese who came to the Philippines were traders or laborers who left their wives and families in China. Thus, even as late as 1903, there were […]