THE CHINESE INTEGRATION IN MAINSTREAM PHILIPPINE SOCIETY

MADALAS akong bumaybay na magsulat sa wikang Ingles. Sa katunayan, ito ang una kong wika sa pagsusulat. Sa wikang ito ang aking karanasan. Isinulat ko ang aking kolum para ngayon sa wikang Ingles. Tungkol ito ang integrasyon ng mga Intsik sa ating lipunan.

ON her Meta account, ex-Sen. Nikki Coseteng brought out a thought provoking question: “Are we not all Chinese?” It was Coseteng’s way to answer queries on how Chinese-Filipinos, or Chinoys for short, should take China’s bullying ways, incursions, and claim sovereignty over certain parts of South China Sea, which we now call the West Philippine Sea.

It was her way to insist that Chinoys are Filipinos, who would never compromise the interest of the Philippines when it comes to the ownership issue and maritime entitlement of the West Philippine Sea. It was her way to insist that Chinoys will never turn its back on the Philippines. The Philippines is not just the country of their birth, but, most of all, it is the country that has nurtured them through life.

Waves of Chinese migrants escaped China’s civil wars, settled here for good, and learned to adapt to the local culture. They cut their pigtails, embraced local religions particularly Roman Catholicism, and intermarried with native women, giving rise to a new social class of Chinese mestizos. While the Chinese were shunned in other countries like Indonesia and Malaysia, ours has been a success story of Chinese integration into mainstream society.

Their arrival was not a one shot deal; it was a long-drawn process. During the more than 300 years of Spanish colonial rule, Chinese migrants came over to the Philippines and raised families here, giving rise to Chinese mestizos, or mestizos de sangley. They grew in number, making them a specific social class. They dominated certain municipalities, as they engaged in trade and commerce to become economically empowered.

Chinese mestizos adopted their monosyllabic Chinese surnames. This phenomenon explains why surnames like Co, Ting, Chong, Ang, Go, Lim, Uy, Tan, Teng, Ng, Ching, Gan, among others abound. In many instances, these Chinese mestizos adopt the complete names of their Chinese forebears. This explains why we have Tansingco, Sytangco, Ongsiako, Tiongson, Lacson (or Son Lc), Tuazon (or Son Tua), Tengco, Tanlimco, Gochangco, Cojuangco, Goquiolay, Gochoco, etc. have proliferated.

These are not all. Scholars have found out that a number of Chinese migrants have adopted the surnames of their local godfathers. Church registries usually contained the Spanish names of the Chinese migrants. They gave their offspring the same names. Hence, it could not be fathomed on how deep Chinese influence is in Philippine society.

Chinese mestizos were traders and merchants of their localities. But Spanish coloniral rulers did not treat them fairly. While the locally-based Spaniard – peninsulares (pure Spanish who were born in the Iberian peninsula) and insulares (Spanish mestizos) – were given cedulas free of charge to show proofs of compliance to taxation requirements, the Indios (native Filipinos) had to shell out P1.50 for every cedula, Chinese mestizos, P3, and Chinese migrants, P6.

In several instances, Spanish colonial rulers, mindful of the rise of these Chinese mestizos as a distinct social class, resorted to their massacres to stop their emergence. But their rise could not be prevented. By the 19th century, they constituted the rising Ilustrado middle class. Scholars noted they peacefully coexisted with the Indios. They were never at odds with each other.

During the time of the Propaganda Movement, the Chinese mestizos sided with the Indios. They joined their Indio counterparts to call for reforms. When the Revolution of 1896 erupted, they joined the Indios to call for independence from the Spanish colonial yoke.

Scholars assert that the role of Chinese mestizos in the formation of the Philippines as a nation-state has not been given much credit. Two distinct mestizo classes rose during the Spanish colonial rule: Spanish mestizos and the Chinese mestizos. But it was the Chinese mestizos, who played a big role in the formation of a Filipino identity.

According to S.V Epistola, a noted scholar, four consciousness have emerged to represent the four major groups of Filipinos during the Spanish colonial rule: Indio, or the native Filipinos, Ilustrado, or middle class Filipinos, mostly trader and it includes the Chinese mestizos, Infieles (infidels), or the non-Christian uplanders in the Cordilleras and Mindanao, and Moros, or the Muslims in Mindanao.

The role Chinoys have played under the Philippine Republic is beyond any shadow of doubt. They have constituted the main pillar of the national economy. It is inconceivable how the economy would have fared without Chinoy’s contributions. They have been the main engine and their participation has propelled the nation to greater heights.

Amid the tension between the Philippines and China, which is making the laughable claim that certain parts of the West Philippine Sea is part of its territory, Coseteng has made it clear that Chinoys arte Filipinos and this is beyond doubt. Coseteng could only call for peace and unity.

Coseteng’s message is clear: “We don’t want war. Such a conflict would deeply affect Chinese Filipinos, who have strong ties to both nations. War would bring unnecessary suffering and discord to our communities.” A friend reached out to Nikki to understand what motivated her to post the message: “We all have Chinese blood, whether we admit it or not. What’s frightening is that in the end, we might end up hurting and fighting each other.”

She said: “It’s important to remember that we’re not enemies. Chinese Filipinos have long been part of the social fabric of the Philippines, contributing to its culture, economy, and progress. We share the same dreams and aspirations as every other Filipino, seeking peace and prosperity for our nation.”

The potential repercussions of escalating tensions between China and the Philippines are far-reaching. Not only would such a conflict disrupt the lives of countless individuals, but it would also destabilize regional security and economic stability. The stakes are high, and the need for dialogue and cooperation is paramount. “Chinese Filipinos are Filipinos at heart. Our loyalty and love for the Philippines run deep,” she asserted.

“We cherish the harmony and unity that define our nation, and we firmly believe that peaceful dialogue and cooperation are the paths to resolving any disputes. Let us work together to ensure a future free from the shadows of war.”