After immigrating to the Philippines, many people worry about life there. Is there anti-Chinese sentiment in Philippine society?What is the status of Chinese people in the Philippines?Will they face discrimination?What kind of environment do Chinese people live in?With these questions in mind, let's take a look at the status of Chinese people in the Philippines!
1975 marked the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the Philippines, opening a new chapter for friendly exchanges. Previously, the Philippines maintained diplomatic relations with the Republic of China, which had retreated to the island of Taiwan. In 1975, when President Marcos, who had established diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China, returned to Manila, he was welcomed by the local Chinese community as he returned to the Presidential Palace.
Prominent Chinese-Filipino business leaders attend a commercial event with the Five-Star Red Flag displayed behind them
Before the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the Philippines, the Chinese community would display the "Blue Sky, White Sun, and a Wholly Red Earth" flag of the Republic of China at events. On the day diplomatic relations were established, due to the relatively weak national strength of mainland China at the time, the Chinese community found it difficult to decide which flag to display and chose not to display any. Recently, with the growing national strength of mainland China, the Chinese community has been displaying the "Five-Star Red Flag" at major events.
For the Chinese community in the Philippines, this is an important turning point: on one hand, Chinese people have generally obtained Philippine citizenship, allowing them to better integrate into local society; on the other hand, after the establishment of diplomatic relations, immigration from China to the Philippines resumed, and the arrival of new immigrants injected fresh blood into the Chinese-Filipino community, continuously contributing to the stability of China-Philippines relations. This is mainly reflected in the following four aspects:
Chinese Population Size
By the end of the 1980s, there were nearly 1 million overseas Chinese in the Philippines, accounting for about 1.5% of the country's population. According to the latest statistics from the "Blue Book of Overseas Chinese: Research Report on Overseas Chinese 2013," there are nearly 1.62 million overseas Chinese in the Philippines.
Among them, the majority of overseas Chinese in the Philippines trace their ancestral roots to Fujian, accounting for 80-90%; those from Guangdong are the next largest group, accounting for about one-tenth. However, with the continuous increase in the number of new immigrants, the proportion of people from other provinces has risen, especially among the student population, many of whom come from Beijing, Shanghai, Hunan, and other places.
Economic Strength
Overseas Chinese account for less than 2% of the total population of the Philippines, but their economic strength cannot be underestimated, as they have become the dominant force in many industrial sectors. After the end of World War II, Chinese merchants seized the opportunities of social and economic transformation in the Philippines, shifting from commerce-based activities to manufacturing and other industries, moving toward diversification, and achieving proud results in import trade, manufacturing, and the tertiary industry.
According to research statistics by Professor Zhuang Guotu, an expert in overseas Chinese studies, among the 248 listed companies in the Philippines at the end of 2009, Chinese merchants accounted for 30%, totaling 73 companies. In recent years, Chinese-Filipino merchants have also achieved remarkable results on the Forbes rich list. Taking the 2015 Forbes Philippines Top 10 Rich List as an example, more than half are Chinese merchants, and the richest person in the Philippines is also Chinese.
Political Participation
Among Chinese communities in Southeast Asia, Chinese people in the Philippines have a high degree of integration into mainstream society. Most of them were naturalized locally in the last century and no longer identify themselves as "sojourners." The main effect of this change in political status is an increase in political awareness. The 1986 Philippine general election was a breakthrough for Chinese political participation. In this election, presidential candidate Corazon Aquino publicly declared her Chinese ancestry, and there were many other political figures with Chinese backgrounds like her; more importantly, Chinese voters were also encouraged by this election to actively participate in politics. Since the 1990s, mainstream politics in the Philippines is no longer the exclusive domain of Filipinos or mixed-race groups, and more Chinese people are participating in it.
Their participation in mainstream Philippine politics is more based on the Chinese-Filipino community, promoting the integration of Chinese and Filipinos on the basis of safeguarding the interests of the Chinese. Entering the 21st century, the situation of Chinese-Filipinos participating in politics and holding public office has become more common. In 2011, there were as many as 15 Chinese-Filipino cabinet-level officials in the Philippine government; they accounted for more than 12% of all members of Congress, a significant breakthrough compared to the past. Currently, Chinese people holding important positions in the Philippine government include Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, Secretary of Science and Technology Fortunato de la Peña, and Commissioner of Internal Revenue Kim Henares.
Language and Culture
In terms of language and culture, compared with the early overseas Chinese, the current backbone of the third and fourth generations of Chinese are mostly born and raised in the Philippines, deeply influenced by Philippine culture, and tend to identify with the local values and ways of thinking. At the same time, after the "Filipinization" of Chinese schools in 1973, Chinese is taught as a second language. Over time, Chinese-Filipino youth have been cared for by Filipino nannies since childhood, and they mostly use Tagalog or English as their common language in daily life, with many possessing good English listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. Coupled with the development of Chinese education in the Philippines in recent years, many Chinese schools in the Philippines adopt bilingual teaching in Chinese and English, allowing children to learn English without forgetting their roots.
In addition, in terms of religious belief, most of the new generation of Chinese believe in Catholicism or Christianity. According to a survey by Chinese-Filipino scholar Teresita Ang See, among 510 Chinese respondents, 66.67% are Catholic and 11.54% are Protestant.
The Philippines is more like a second hometown for Chinese people. Due to the geographical advantage of the close proximity between the Philippines and China, the mutual cultural influence and integration have enabled Chinese people to integrate into life in the Philippines more easily. In the Philippines, "Chinese" is synonymous with "wealthy," and it is very suitable for doing business. Three of the top five richest people in the Philippines are Chinese. There are many chambers of commerce in the Philippines, providing convenience for conducting trade. There are many famous Chinese international schools in the Philippines, offering bilingual education and high-quality American-style education, which attracts students from all over the world.
Current China-Philippines Relations
After the 6-year political freeze during the Aquino era, it is appropriate to describe China-Philippines relations as "terrible."
God bless China. As a country with a highly strategic position, the Philippines, an important neighbor to the rising China, fully embraced China in 2017.
The Chinese community handled President Duterte, and the Chinese government handled the Philippine government. Currently, the Chinese government strongly encourages Chinese tourists and enterprises to travel and invest in the Philippines. Mainstream media have also begun to broadcast positive news about the Philippines on a large scale. When the Philippine government was bombarded by the West for its crackdown on crime and drugs, the Chinese government strongly supported it and purchased a large amount of Philippine fruits and export goods.