Spain began its colonial rule over the Philippines in the mid-16th century. After the Spanish arrived in the Philippines, the local productivity was still very low, unable to meet the service needs of their daily lives. At this time, the Chinese, who possessed abundant goods and a hardworking nature, earned a place for themselves here through their wisdom.
The Chinese who came here included merchants who brought Chinese goods for trade, as well as craftsmen, farmers, and artisans. They provided services for things like the construction of some of the churches and city towers in the Philippines today. The small businesses and services required for daily life, such as goldsmithing, trading, and barbering, were all performed by the Chinese at that time. Because the local people did not know how to do these things, and the Spanish who arrived were mostly nobles and soldiers who did not want to do such manual labor, the Chinese filled this gap.
The wax figures and old photographs in the Bahay Tsinoy (Museum of Chinese in Philippine Life) vividly recreate the scene of the Chinese starting from small businesses and working diligently to build their careers. The weary bodies, the tear-stained faces, and the hopeful gazes make one deeply feel the hardships experienced by the Chinese in the Philippines during the early days of life in Chinatown.
However, the virtues of diligence and thrift, combined with a talent for strategic thinking, enabled the Chinese in Chinatown to succeed during the initial stage of capital accumulation. As an immigrant group, the Chinese, with their strong sense of clan identity, helped each other and tied their destinies closely together. Business integrity was another secret to the success of Chinese merchants. In addition, Chinese merchants were adept at managing business connections and building commercial networks to effectively handle investor and client relationships. Therefore, Chinese merchants were active in various business social engagements and activities, investing time, energy, and even capital to maintain these networks, thereby expanding their business volume and scope. The Chinese culture brought by them also deeply influenced the daily lives of the Filipino public.
In modern Filipino life, many aspects are influenced by Chinese culture, such as the food they eat in their daily lives and the varieties of vegetables, which were brought here by the Chinese. For example, the steamed buns they like now are called "shao bao" by the Fujianese, and they use the same term; they call tofu "Tofu" (the same as in Chinese). Generally, things that came from China share the same names as those used in Fujian. Chinese merchants were also active in the Philippine national liberation movement; Roman Ongpin, a Chinese merchant born in the Philippines with ancestral roots in Jinjiang, Fujian, was one of them.
At the end of the 19th century, a large-scale revolution against Western colonial rule broke out in the Philippines. Later, in 1898, Spanish colonial rule was overthrown, and the Republic of the Philippines was established. At that time, many of the main leaders in the revolutionary party were of mixed Chinese descent, and many overseas Chinese enthusiastically supported the Philippine revolution. One of the more famous ones was a Chinese man named Ongpin; he was a merchant, but he enthusiastically used his funds to support the Philippine revolution.
A full-body bronze statue of Roman Ongpin stands in the square in the middle of Ongpin Street today. Charitable and business-savvy, Ongpin actively participated in the Philippine national liberation movement. His shop became a gathering place for revolutionary intellectuals and patriotic students, and he also funded the revolutionaries with large amounts of money and supplies. To honor his contributions to the Philippines, the Manila City Council renamed Sacristia Street to Ongpin Street in 1915.
After generations of hard work, the Chinese in the Philippines now hold a pivotal position in the Philippine economy, especially in the financial, retail, and manufacturing sectors. The economic achievements of the Chinese in the Philippines are also a significant contribution to the Philippine national economy. After achieving success in business, the Chinese in the Philippines are very willing to give back to society. They have invested heavily in building hospitals, schools, and volunteer fire brigades to serve both the Chinese and the broader Philippine society. The Filipino-Chinese Volunteer Fire Brigade, the Filipino-Chinese medical mission, and the donation of rural school buildings have become known locally as the "Three Treasures of the Filipino-Chinese Community."
In front of the Binondo Church in Chinatown, we can see the fire trucks of the Filipino-Chinese Volunteer Fire Brigade. This organization currently has 32 volunteer fire brigades, more than 100 fire trucks, and over 1,500 professionally trained firefighters and emergency medical personnel. Most of these volunteers have their own regular jobs. Before becoming professional firefighters, they undergo strict screening and participate in fire safety knowledge training and professional skills training. They not only effectively protect the lives and property of Manila citizens but also shoulder the important mission of maintaining friendly relations between the Filipino and Chinese peoples.
Today, the Filipino-Chinese Volunteer Fire Brigade has become an important force in the Philippine national fire service, winning the respect and praise of the Filipino people. Former Philippine President Benigno Aquino III also fully affirmed the contributions made by the Filipino-Chinese Volunteer Fire Brigade to Philippine society, praising them as "good partners of the government." After more than 400 years of development, modern high-rise buildings have sprung up in Chinatown, with high-end residential apartments, commercial office buildings, and commodity trading centers arranged in an orderly fashion. The narrow alleys full of human warmth are intertwined with steel and concrete skyscrapers, together witnessing the historical changes of Chinatown.
