Tsinoy

I had the privilege of meeting today a Filipino intellectual by the name of Teresita Ang See. I attended this afternoon her forum discussion at La Trobe University, city campus, together with six Filipino scholars and an Australian who seems to know more about the Philippines than I do. Teresista Ang See is a professor in Ateneo de Manila University, chairperson of Crusade Action Against Crime, founding president of Kaisa Para sa Kaunlaran (a non-government organization in the Philippines started in 1971). There are so many other important details about Teresita but what struck me most was the fact that she is one of the 27 Filipino nominees for Nobel Prize.

It is hard for me to reiterate what she has discussed in the forum today (as I said she is intellectual, I am not!). But here is the outline of those things that I can still remember and find interesting.

• Chinese Diaspora in the Philippines is unique in Asia
• There was a large scale of Filipino-Chinese persecution, harassment and mass massacres inflicted by the Spaniards. The Spaniards feared and mistrusted them.
• There were Chinese individuals who played important role during the revolution against Spanish rule. (Jose Ignacio Paua was a pure blooded Chinese who enlisted with Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo’s army; he won many battles and was among the signatories to the Biak na Bato constitution.
• There is only 1.2% of Filipino-Chinese in the Philippines. The census is based on ethnical Chinese who at least understand Chinese language, enrolled in Chinese schools, retaining Chinese tradition.
• Filipino-Chinese in the Philippines is the smallest Chinese community in Asia.
• Chinese in the Philippines speak Hokien, they came from Fukien, China.
• The new generation of Filipino-Chinese speak Tagalog as their first language, English as second, Hokien third and Mandarin as third language among others.
• Filipino-Chinese prefer to be called “Tsinoy” it is more politically correct because the usual term “Instik” is derogatory against them. “Instik” means an old Chinese man. “Instik beho tulo laway” is a mockery of an old China man whose saliva is drooling in his mouth because he had not enough sleep because of he was working so hard day and night.
• Tsinoy is the most vulnerable sector in the Philippines. They have no weapon against the very organized kidnappings.
• Many Chinese in the Philippines practiced religious syncretism, the unique product of Catholic and Buddhist intermarriage.
• Reverse migration: Before the Chinese people came in the Philippines barefooted with full of hopes and determinations to find a better in the country. Now, it is sad that Filipinos are leaving the country to find a land of greener pasture abroad.
• There are more wealthy Filipinos than the Tsinoys. The wealth of the Tsinoys are well publicized because they own the malls, commercial buildings, products, etc. but the not strategic property which run the business, lifestyle and economy of the country.
• Most of the enormous wealth of the elite Filipinos are non-creative.

Teresita Ang See has established Bahay Tsinoy (A Museum of the Chinese in the Philippines Life), located at Anda corner Cabildo Streets in Intramuros.

Tara na Biyahe tayo! Wow Philippines! (Jolina)