Similarities and Differences between

Mainland Chinese and Filipino –

Chinese

A Term Paper
Presented to
Professor Etheldreda Ferrer
Department of English
Far Eastern University

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for

English 2
First Semester, school year 2010 – 2011

By:
Bunny Dawn dS. Lagman
Chen Chen
Elizabeth B. Sia
Ma. Roselle Anne G. Aricayos
 It has been proven that the Filipinos have interacted with various

neighbouring countries. Such interactions included trading goods using

barter system and intermarrying for better alliance. One of the most

prominent visitors to the Philippines is the Chinese who are present until

now. Dejarmem (2006) believed that the Chinese traders bartered goods like

silk and porcelain with the Filipinos’ pearls, shells, cotton, and rattan as early

as the Song Dynasty. These foreigners intermarried with the Filipinos and

greatly influenced their way of living. Due to the Philippines’ strategic

location and rich natural resources, the Spaniards came to conquer the

country in the early 16th Century. Also from this period, Chinese immigrants

became numerous. According to Alip (1959), the Chinese immigrants were

given great extent of democracy such that they could settle anywhere and

put up the business in any place, but gradually the Spaniards took notice of

this and decided to isolate the Chinese in permanent locations. He further

explains that:

“In 1580, during the rule of Governor Gonzalo Ronquillo de

Peñaloza (1580 – 1583), the Chinese were compelled to live in

them in the Parian, a small district to the east side of Manila,

and in the Alcaiceria de Binondo, a district with part of the Pasig

River just on the opposite side of Old Manila. Both places were
 within the range of the range of the cannons installed by the

Government on the Walls of Old Manila” (p. 24).

At present, the Chinese have been attributing to the economy of the

Philippines. They have been continuing their family line, and now, according

to calculations done by the researchers on the given statistics of

Nationmaster.com and True Knowledge, Chinese and Filipino-Chinese

comprise 2.2% of the Country’s population. They have adapted well to the

Filipino culture just as how the Chinese influenced the Filipinos. The Filipino-

Chinese are now almost different from those of the Chinese in Mainland

China, in terms of lifestyle and culture.

The Filipino-Chinese have been known for their success in business. Co

(2010) agrees that Henry Sy, Lucio Tan and John Gokongwei are some of the

largest names of Chinese business tycoons in the Philippines. At an early

age, Henry Sy came to the Philippines and worked in his father’s store. After

many years he collaborated with a friend to found the first S&M store, the

origin of the renowned SM Malls. Lucio Tan, who didn’t make it in

engineering, founded a humble scrap business before being involved in a

tobacco factory he found the motivation to start his own tobacco industry.

John Gokongwei, in his teenage years started from a simple buy-an-sell of

basic commodities, later went to a small trading company, and then became
a shopkeeper in a merchandising store. Those were his stepping stones

before reaching the success he has now in business.

This research is about the similarities and differences of Filipino-

Chinese and Mainland Chinese and the researchers found this topic

interesting because two of the researchers wanted to discover their heritage

while the other two researchers became interested in the differences of the

two groups.

Chinese Merchant Traders have been known throughout Asia and

Europe for a long, long time. Their diverse wares and products are sought

even after 2,000 years and are widely known after Marco Polo’s journey

through the “Silk Road” (Marco Polo and His Travels, n.d.). To China’s

neighbors’ – countries like Formosa (currently Taiwan), Japan, Korea,

Philippines, Malaysia, etc. – the Chinese made themselves known to them as

merchants through their trading ships called “Junks”. Traces of Chinese

ancestry can be found in majority of the Asian countries with special note to

Koreans and Japanese. It is within this context that the researchers found

interest on this topic in the first place.

A commonality between different Asian countries have with each other

is a connection to the Middle Kingdom, China, whether through the business

of trade or just simple intermarriage. Now, the researchers will first focus on

the aspect of business or economy of China. Firstly, it must be noted that as

the New Age Encyclopedia (1984) points out by the time China entered the

modern world, they held the highest population in the world. In their first

census back in Song Dynasty, the Chinese numbered at the 60 million –

level. In between the Song Dynasty and Ming Dynasty, a sudden increase to

100 million occurred and in the opening of the 19th Century, China reached

430 million. The economic impact on this was not lost to anyone along with

the 30 – grade scale of salary of just government workers, not including the

salary of private companies and offices, which are significantly lower. As

ascribed by Ford (1969) in their values left to them by the great Confucius,

they value whatever riches they have but currently, though, the world views

them as business – oriented people they are no better than the next man.

Their minimum wage is quite low that even a 5 RMB (30 php) in a subway is

treated as luxurious. The benefits they receive at retirement is quite

luxurious such as the free bus rides, but the communist – like government of

the country keeps people from getting too rich or too powerful.

The Chinese still uphold old laws when it comes to family, though

discouraged, arranged marriages by parents are still practiced. According to

the New Age Encyclopedia (1984), in early China family is prioritized and

nourished by each person given their own roles and activities. The father is
the head of the household. He also works to earn a living and could have as

many wives as he can. The mother continues the family line by bearing sons.

Together the parents will guide their children and decide for their marriage.

Meanwhile children help with household chores. Sons help their fathers in

their work and daughters help their mothers make their meals, wash the

clothes, and make handicrafts. Also in addition, in Chinese tradition, you

could only marry someone who has the same wealth and social status with

your family. If the other family is well – off or an official family. He will never

be permitted to marry someone from a poor family. The bride should wear a

red skirt and be covered in an opaque red handkerchief – like veil. And the

male would wear a red dress – like clothes (Pillai, n.d.). But in recent years,

people discarded some of the marriage procedures and wedding ceremonies,

giving way to a more western setting. As stated in the New Encyclopedia

(1984) in the coming of the 20th Century, the concept of Chinese family has

undergone tremendous changes. The exertion of authority of women against

the precious authority of men in the family rose during the May Fourth

Movement of 1919. The Communists who ruled at that time formed the

marriage Law of 1950 which aimed family organization and removal of male

authority. Fixed marriages and getting concubines were ceased and more

rights for divorce and for women were granted. Even from there many

changes, attitude regarding family like in early China are still practiced today

but are more present in the countryside than in the city. Arranged marriages
still exist especially in remote villages throughout China and at present a

“One – Child” Policy is implemented in China.

The main language in china is Mandarin, which is spoken by almost

90% of their population. The more prominent sublanguages or dialects are

Cantonese, which is widely spoken by the Chinese in Hong Kong and the

Guang Dong Province, and Fujian / Hokkien, which is widely spoken in the

Fujian Provinces.

Jin Bo (2004) concludes that Buddhism is the main religion in China,

with over 13,000 Buddhist temples present all over the country. These major

temples could accommodate more or less one million Chinese per day, also

counting tourists. The second is Taoism composing over 1,500 Taoist

monasteries. These monasteries are located mostly o the mountains, where

more of the believers become monks, and some monasteries are in the city.

The third is Islam with over 30,000 mosques established in mostly Southern

China. The minor religions are Catholicism, with over 4,600 meeting sites,

and Christianity, with over 12,000 churches and 25,000 simple activity sites.

It is within rights to say that Filipino-Chinese are similar to their

Mainland cousins but at the same time quite dissimilar as well. It is well
known, in the Philippines, in the perception of Filipinos, that the Chinese are

wealthy. While it is true in cases of Lucio Tan, Henry Sy, John Gokongwei,

etc. and the majority of the Filipino – Chinese, there are those who are on the

same salary scale as any other Filipino. Co (2010) states that the difference

that makes it so, that the Chinese is richer, is because of the long ingrained

thriftiness and shrewdness from their ancestors. That mentality saves them a

lot of trouble and is able to spend wisely making it look like they’re richer

than they actually are.

Some Filipino-Chinese do not only do business for their own benefit but

also found charitable foundations that can help other less fortunate people

and such. Such foundations are as follows: Jollibee Foundation, Metrobank

Foundation, Cityland foundation, etc. They also built different hospitals in the

Philippines like the Chinese General Hospital, Metropolitan Hospital, St.

Luke’s Hospital, etc. Besides that most volunteer Fire Brigades are supported

by Filipino – Chinese Organizations or individuals like the owner of Eng Bee

Tin, Mr. Ube (“Chinese Filipino”, n.d.).

Like any other culture values and religion go together. Traditional

Chinese values survive drastic changes like moving to another country as

long as Buddhism survives and vice – versa. Values founded by Confucius

and his disciples are up until now are still used by Filipino – Chinese. But ever

since integrating into the Philippines, the Chinese have adopted various
Filipino traits and values, welcoming the change, as much as the Filipinos

took values from their Filipino – Chinese cousins. Religion for that matter is

not so much as the Filipinos adopting Chinese religions but more of the

Chinese embracing Christianity. Small pockets of Filipino – Chinese Christian

communities have been established in the last 50 years (Christian Gospel

Center, n.d.). Though using the word “Christianity” loosely, as even though it

is commonly connected to Roman Catholicism in the Philippines, The Filipino

– Chinese tend to gravitate more toward Protestantism.

For generations, Filipinos and Filipino – Chinese / Chinese have

intermarried and unlike the former practice of taking concubines of Mainland

China, it had almost never happened in the Philippines ever since the

colonization of the Philippines by the Spain. Currently, Filipino – Chinese

follow the law of monogamy as does Mainland China. And though arranged

marriages had long been out of date is still practiced in certain families in

China and in the Philippines as well. One child policy of China does not take

effect or is not practiced by Filipino – Chinese communities. In fact, Mainland

Chinese come to the Philippines for something other than business which is

having children here, where no policy is dictating to them to only have one

child.
 See (1997) says that language is one way to know ones identity or

origin. To realize that many Chinese youth have lost the ability to speak,

read, and write in Chinese, is a depressing truth. Dr. Gerald Mcbeath, a

political scientist, surveyed 2,490 Filipino – Chinese students and showed

that roughly 32.9% of them are fluent in mandarin, 37.7% are fluent in

English, and 59.6% are fluent in Filipino. Outside of Mandarin, a more used

Chinese dialect is either of Fujian / Hokkien / Fookien or Cantonese Chinese.

These dialects are the usual language used in the famous “Chinatown” or

Ongpin.

See (1997) sates that most of the early Chinese who left their country

for better life had nothing at first. With them were determination,

hardworking attitudes and clean intentions. Their success mostly came from

the open doors and positive enticement of their new home.

China has had encounters with the Philippines since pre – Hispanic

times when the Chinese bartered goods from our native folks. Since then, no

one could stop their migration. They started to live here, built their home and

had families, and earned a living. See (1997) said that the first generations

believed that “Once a Chinese, always a Chinese.” But even if they tried to

prevent the changes in their culture, still they can’t prevent it because of the

environment they are now living with. Most of the Filipino – Chinese who
came to the Philippines at an early age would experience growing up with

Filipinos but still lived within Chinese communities. They have greatly

changed because of their interactions with the Filipinos, that most of the new

generation of Filipino – Chinese do not see themselves neither as Chinese or

Filipino but a unique blend of both.

The Chinese are set in their ways and most of the time don’t stray too

far off their given paths. Stiff in following the old ways much like their

Japanese and maybe Korean cousins. Even after all the years, the Chinese

haven’t changed much but there is something to be said to Filipino –

Chinese. After so long, their interaction with the Philippines, they’ve

diversified, diverting from a majority of Chinese traditions. Things such as

festivals, superstition and myths will persist as seen on many special

occasions in various media. The Moon Festival, the Chinese New Year, etc. all

celebrated by all Chinese but in China, these occasions don’t call for much

fanfare as it here in the Philippines. Someone once told the researchers, it is

a lonely time in China at the Yuletides, Christmas. China does not put much

salt on what the rest of the world celebrates and they are somewhat selfish

and condescending when it comes the festivities of the rest of the world.

Hong Kong and Macau, two separate islands, both autonomous to China but

still Chinese, goes with the rest of the world and celebrate its holidays. But

the Filipino – Chinese found it in themselves to veer off the usual front of the
Chinese on these celebrations and joins their Filipino neighbors and enjoy all

kinds of festivities.

It might be that the Chinese have seemingly never changed, that they

had stayed on their own paths long set but it is obvious to the researchers

that it is not. One of the researchers, themselves, has stated that the Filipino

– Chinese in the Philippines are so much more unique than what they had

been used to in China. Much goes the same for another Researcher, a

Filipino – Chinese, in fact, that they had been surprised by huge difference of

traits and attributes of both cultures. It is safe to say, based on gathered

facts and well – meaning “Interviews” that indeed that the once one culture

of the Chinese, once the Filipino – Chinese have settled in the Philippines,

have diverged into two unique different cultures.

Reference List:

Alip, E.M. (1959). Ten centuries of Philippine Chinese relations (History,

Political, Social, Economic). Manila: Alip & Sons, Inc.

Bo, J. (2004). China in diagrams. Beijing: China Internation Press

Co, M.R. (2010, May 17). “The tycooning of the humble Chinese peddler”.

Asia! through Asian eyes. Retrieved July 28, 2010, from

 http://www.asiamag.com/people/the-tycooning-of-the-humble-chinese-

peddler/

China. In New Encyclopedia (No.4) (1984). Canada Colbert: Lexicon

Publications.

“Chinese Filipino”. Retrieved September 27, 2010, from

http://english.turkcebilgi.com/Chinese+Filipino

Christian Gospel Center (CGC). Retrieved October 8, 2010, from

http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=8215334074&v=info.

Dejarme, E.G. (2006). Philippine geography, history and civics and culture.

Manila: St. Augustine Publications, Inc.

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Winston, Inc
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http://www.silk-road.com/artl/marcopolo.shtml

NationMaster.com. Retrieved October 8, 2010, from

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/peo_chi_pop-people-chinese-

population.

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on the Web. Retrieved July 26, 2010, from

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/chinese-traditions-and-culture.html.

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(Vol.1). Manila: Kaisa para sa Kaunlaran, Inc.

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