History’s ironies

It may be the news of today, but when one thinks of the history of Filipinos and the Chinese under Spanish imperialism, one can’t help but feel a twinge. There was a time when both the Chinese and Filipinos were not welcome in the exclusive parts of the Walled City of Intramuros. They were then comrade in arms as the depressed inhabitants, banned by the Spanish elite. Funny, though that companionship borne of their misery as outsiders is  barely mentioned, glossed over as if this was not important.

When President Aquino, who is himself descended from Chinese ancestors, asked for Spain’s support in its conflict with China on the ownership of the Spratly islands in the South China Sea, it was truly ironic.

I doubt if our president is even aware of that history when people of the East, the discovered ‘heathen’ of this world, were once treated as pariah by Western imperialists, Chinese and natives alike.

I wonder how much information on the position of Filipinos as far as the conflict on the South China Sea is known by the diplomatic corps if all the information they get are mainstream media? No doubt there is a conflict on the ownership of the Spratly islands but it is equally true that there is room for negotiation and settlement that could help if the West, principally the US, were more amenable to bilateral negotiations instead of “internationalizing” the issue. Therefore for President Aquino to go around Europe looking for support for the Philippine position is ill-advised and unhelpful to both countries if the objective is to find a solution.

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For whatever business reasons that Lucio Tan bought back control of Philippine Airlines, it must be said that Ramon Ang of San Miguel did a good job of stewardship in his time. He was like a spin top — buying new airplanes, fixing labor problems, opening new air routes or reopening what was closed in a long hiatus. As passengers, we marveled at how changed PAL’s services were. To Filipino workers who are the biggest users of the airline, they took great pride at the changes made and began returning their custom of “our airline.”

As far as air travel was concerned, it was a primary service for our millions of overseas workers and their families. They are ignorant of dollars and cents and the bottom line of what figures make a sensible return of the management to Lucio Tan and group. Nevertheless, they are hopeful that the improvements in PAL’s services will continue to be maintained during Ramon Ang’s management. Congratulations to Mr. Ang for a job well done. To Lucio Tan and group, all good wishes for the coming difficult task of making sure that it will not suffer from comparison with the former-new management. It is reported that Lucio Tan and group will take in a new partner, the Etihad Airlines of Abu Dhabi. The Tan group raised around $780 million from a bridge financing from four big local banks, $460 million of which will come from banks led by the family of fellow tycoon Henry Sy, Banco de Oro Unibank and China Banking Corp. while the remainder was funded by PNB and Asia United Bank.

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As I write this column a group of us from local media are bound for a visit to  China on the invitation of the Chinese Embassy. The program for a media Southwest China cultural and economic familiarization tour will be very useful to most of us in media. First hand information is sorely needed for the proper coverage of this top ranking country in our region since the conflict on the South China Sea (West Philippine Sea). Our relations with China go far and deep into history and we should not allow current events to tar a long abiding friendship.

The key to reporting on events relating to the conflict is to be ever conscious of the background of long-standing historical and commercial ties between our two countries. Indeed, friendship and trading between the Chinese and the Philippines flourished long before Western countries claim to have “discovered” the Philippines.

The overarching fact is Filipinos are deeply related with the Chinese. Indeed, our national hero Jose Rizal.  Rizal family’s paternal ascendant was Domingo Lam-co, a full-bloodied Chinese from Amoy, China. In the Philippines he married Ines de la Rosa who was half-Chinese.

According to Wikipedia, there is an exact replica of monument to honor our national hero Jose Rizal in Rizal Park (once known as Bagumbayan and  Luneta.) This was  built at the heart of this southern Chinese city to remember that Rizal’s great, great grandfather, Domingo Lamco of Zhang-Guo province, was once a resident of the city and a citizen of China.  

He immigrated from Siongque (“Zhang-Guo” in Mandarin Chinese) to the Philippines in the later part of the 17th century. Church records show that Cue Yi Lam was baptized and was named Domingo Lamco at the age of 35 in Manila in 1697.