Getting to know Chinatown one Tsinoy at a time

Have you been to Binondo lately?

Located across the Pasig River from the Walled City of Intramuros,  Binondo is probably the busiest and most crowded spot in the metro —what with the crazy maze of thrift shops, jewelry stores, age-old churches, apothecaries selling traditional Chinese herbal medicines, hole-in-the-wall restaurants and the popular estero(creek) eatery that millennials love to frequent nowadays. Thanks to cultural guide Chinese-Filipino Ivan Dy who has led thousands of happy and hungry stomping hordes on a walk through Chinatown (Binondo) that explores the diverse heritage and multiple layers of this one-square-kilometer territory since 2005.

Touted as one of the “World’s Best Chinatowns” by CNNGo, the travel website of Cable News Network (CNN) in 2012, Binondo now joins the ranks of the most scenic Chinatowns found in major cities of the world — Havana, Cuba; Kolkata, India; Bangkok, Thailand; Johannesburg, South Africa; Melbourne, Australia; Vancouver, Canada; San Francisco, US; and London, England. Don’t you think it’s time to revisit and explore not just one of the best, but the oldest Chinatown in the world?

Binondo: A Vibrant Crossroad Of The Past, The Presentand The Future

So, what makes Binondo unique as compared to other Chinatowns around the world?

“Binondo is a by-product of integration, cultural transformation, and religious syncretism. That’s what makes Binondo unique,” explains Teresita “Tessie” Ang-See, executive trustee, Kaisa Heritage Center.

The lowly hopia (which means “good pastry” in Chinese), for example, has now been transformed using a lot of local, Filipino ingredients. We now enjoy ube and kundol hopia in different shapes and sizes. Also, what is fiesta fare without pancit and lumpia? The names of these dishes were derived from Hokkien.

“But the Filipinos are very good at transforming or indigenizing many of the Chinese’s contributions. The pancit became pancit luglog, pancit Malabon, and other varieties,” Ang-See says with an impish grin. “Sometimes, you can no longer distinguish if the dish is Chinese or Filipino because it has been well-accepted and integrated in all aspects of Filipino life.”

It’s important to note that what makes Binondo unique is the blending of two cultures — Chinese and Filipino — rather than separating Chinatown’s existence.

“In other countries, they would focus mainly on the distinctness of the native Chinese. In the Philippines, we embrace them as part of our culture,” adds Ang-See.

Professor Fernando “Ed” Zialcita couln’t agree more.

“We, Filipinos, are indeed a product of inter-marriages. Thanks to the Spaniards who were very eager to legitimize these unions,” explains Zialcita, professor emeritus, Department of Sociology, Ateneo de Manila University. “From the very start, the Catholic Church deemed it necessary to preach the gospel: First, to the American-Indian in the new world and then, of course, to the Filipinos.”

There was that policy of assimilation, and the Spanish government, for its part, encouraged inter-marriages because that is one way to “Hispanize the population.”

The Chinese immigrants were already in the Philippines even before the Spaniards came. The Dominican friars wanted to use the Philippines as a stepping stone to evangelize China.

“They weren’t really interested in our 7,100 islands,” explains Ang-See. “They even wrote letters to the King of Spain that what a glory to God it would be if they could ‘Christianize a million barbaric souls.’”

During the Spanish times, the non-Christian Chinese were limited to a place called parian.

“The parian is much like a ghetto where they were all forced to live,” explains Ang-See.

This popular Tsinoy (Tsinong-Pinoy) personality actively promotes the integration of the ethnic Chinese into mainstream Philippine society. “If the Chinese immigrant wasn’t married to a Filipino or if he wasn’t baptized as a Christian, he had to be confined in a parian.”

Life was, indeed, difficult for non-Christian Chinese at that time because they needed to ask for a permit before they could go outside, say, to attend a relative’s funeral.

“The Spaniards were very strict. If your permit has expired and you were caught outside the parian, you would be conscripted into force labor,” adds Ang-See.

Always a resourceful lot, the Chinese started doing fake travel permits. Yes, Binondo was the original “fake degree mill” in Manila, not Recto Ave.

At the beginning, they would come in and out of the parian, until the first Chinese uprising against the Spaniards in 1603,” notes Tessie. “There was a draw bridge that would close off Intramuros from the Chinese.” Only the Christianized Chinese could live across the Pasig River in Binondo.

But during the daytime, the Chinese would go to Intramuros to peddle their wares — from food, clothing, shoes to jewelry — to the Spaniards.

In 1594, Governor General Dasmariñas bought a parcel of land in Manila for a measly sum of P200 not just to house the Chinese (Christian) converts, but also to propagate the faith. The place was called “Binondok (hilly),” which later on became Binondo.

The Chinese are very practical people. They embraced Catholicism probably not out of faith, but out of practicality.

“Simply because they could not move around freely if they weren’t baptized as Christians. They could also not deal with the Spanish government. The Chinese immigrants were looked down upon by the Spaniards with distrust. The non-Christian Chinese were even called barbarians, or people without souls. So it was more practical for them to just embrace Catholicism,” explains Ang-See.

In Binondo, the Chinese immigrants lived the way they did in their mother land. Although they learned to speak Spanish and Filipino, they followed their own beliefs and customs.

The Spaniards even had to build a cemetery and hospital exclusively for the Chinese in Binondo.

“The hospital was named San Gabriel, which catered only to the Chinese, simply because their medical practices were totally different from those of the Filipinos,” notes Ang-See.

For example, the Chinese would not subject a patient with fever to a cold compress. What they did was to wrap the person up and serve him hot drinks. In contrast, Filipinos would douse the patient with cold water to bring his temperature down.

“The Chinese believe that heat would kill the virus in our body. So, they would give the patient a hot drink instead,” explains Ang-See.

Binondo was mainly for the Christian-Chinese, but a lot of them got married to Filipinos,” explains Ang-See. And this gave rise to Tsinoy or Tsinong-Pinoy. “It was a perfect combination. The hardworking Chinese immigrants were known for their business acumen and frugality, while their equally hardworking Filipino spouses owned the land and had the legal stature to own businesses.”

Needless to say, the union helped spur the economic growth not only in Binondo but the entire country in general.

Tsinoys And Proud!

The Chinese community in Binondo during the Spanish Occupation was quite small. So word of honor, faith, and trust in your fellow businessmen were vital in doing business at that time.

“Before, you could buy tobacco in Albay without cash — just a promise that you would pay the dealer as soon as the products were sold. The only capital they needed was word of honor,” notes Ang-See.

And so, if the check you issued to your business partner bounced in Mindanao, the people in Luzon would know right away — by word of mouth.

“In a very small community, there is a social sanction: honor your word. Guard it with your life because that’s your only capital,” Ang-See adds.

In Binondo, you can grow your business even with little capital because the Chinese-Filipinos look out for one another.

“Growing up, we heard of stories of how hard our ancestors worked. My dad came to the Philippines when he was only nine years old. His first job was in a restaurant. They worked from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.,” shares Ang-See.

I guess that’s the reason why the old Chinese men were called “Intsik beho, tulo-laway,” because they were sleep-deprived. That’s also the reason why the younger generation didn’t want to be called “Intsik,” because they remember the hardships their parents endured before.

“Well, not for me,” Ang-See hastily replied. “It’s actually a source of pride because it’s the hard work put in by our ancestors that helped spur the country’s economic growth. Our ancestors came to the Philippines with nothing, but they worked really hard with their sweat, blood and tears. And they succeeded.”

The OFWs could also learn a thing or two from Tsinoys about money matters.

“Delayed gratification. It's one of the traits of successful people. Don’t buy cars or digital appliances with your first pay check. The money that you earn should start earning more before spending them on luxury items,” Ang-See says.

A Glimpse Of The Golden Age (American Occupation)

The Chinese have long established trade relations with various coastal villages of what was to become the Philippines. They had businesses in various trades, not just in retail.

“Binondo was dotted with shops filled with high-quality trade wares like celadon, Ming wares, etc.,” notes Ang-See.

Chinese and other oriental products arrived in massive quantity at the Port of Manila and were transported by galleons to Acapulco in Mexico, then finally to Spain and other parts of Europe.

“The foundation of Binondo’s success was The Galleon Trade, which paved the way for the middle class. It  was the start of the first global commerce linking Asia, America and Europe,” adds Richard T. Chu, professor, University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

One could say that Binondo continue to flourish even during the American colonial period.

“After the Philippine Revolution which, by the way, was participated in by famous Chinese-mestizos such as Roman Ongpin Luis Rafael Yangco,Telesforo Chuidian, and Antonio Luna who was one of those who commanded the Philippine Army under the Malolos Republic, the next chapter of Philippine history would provide a glimpse of the Golden Age,” explains Zialcita.

Binondo became a showpiece of the Americans when they invaded the Far-East.

“There was economic freedom and liberalization of the economy. And so, the Chinese called the American Period as the golden era in terms of economic success,” notes Chu.

Binondo became the showpiece of American modernity in the Far-East. The latest innovations, for example, in building technology were first introduced in Binondo.

“The first high-rise in the Philippines is the Yuchengco Building, which still stands to this day. It was built by Willian Audum, an American contractor and engineer who built a lot of other important structures in Binondo,” explains Zialcita.

Escolta at that time was the Makati of today. It used to be the financial center as well.

“Street life in Binondo during the American Period was very colorful and busy. Escolta was the Broadway of Manila because it was the home of Lyric Theater and Capitol Theater. Also, major production houses like as FPJ Productions and Rodolfo V. Quizon (RVQ) Productions held offices there,” shares Dr. Lorelei de Viana, dean, College of Architecture, Far Eastern University.

Escolta was also touted as the “Bond” street of Manila.

“Manila’s rich and famous would shop there. L’Estrella del Norte was the go-to-place for clothing, houseware, even cars. It’s competitor was Puerta del Sol,” adds Viana.

The Chinese businessmen weren’t left out. They would sell their wares along Calle Rosario (Quentin Paredes St.), while others had offices and shops along Sto. Cristo and Calle Nueva.

“They couldn’t penetrate Escolta because it was the turf of the American and European traders,” Viana stresses.

World War II and the eventual Philippine Independence changed everything. Parts of Binondo — Binondo Church, the Plaza and Quiapo — were destroyed.

But despite the destruction, Binondo would recover and to some extent regained its unique place in history.

Explore The Rich Heritage Of Binondo At The Chinatown Museum

With Binondo’s rich history and the Chinese culture long in the doldrums, wouldn’t it be nice to have a special place where we could take our children on a walk down memory lane and together reimagine the colorful past of the world’s oldest Chinatown?

Actually, Megaworld Corporation filled the void four years ago when it opened its heritage project — Lucky Chinatown — right in the heart of Binondo.

Built primarily to revive and enliven the trade, commerce and tourism activities that defined Binondo in so many ways, Lucky Chinatown injected new excitement and breathed new life into the area while staying true to its Chinese-Filipino roots.

One of the things I love about Lucky Chinatown is the Chinatown Walk, an exciting street concept that revives the famed Chinatown with select homegrown Chinese restaurants, delicatessen, furniture, jewelry and herbal Chinese medicines mixed with well-curated cafes and tea salons. Its unique design and layout bare close resemblance to the Manila Chinatown of the past. Here, shoppers are brought back in time to experience the best of Binondo.

So imagine my excitement when I learned that this lifestyle destination will soon house the Philippines’ first Chinatown Museum.

In partnership with National Geographic, Chinatown Museum is the fulfillment of Megaworld Corporation chairman Andrew Tan’s mission of educating the younger generation about the colorful past not only of Binondo but also the Tsinong-Pilipino (Tsinoy), with the end goal of elevating the Chinese cultural experience of tourists, scholars, students and mall patrons.

There will be 15 galleries showcasing the different stages of the history and heritage of Binondo, including its nearby areas — from its inception as a 16th-century settlement for Christianized Chinese to a 19th-century cosmopolitan hub of colonial Philippines and on its way to becoming a busting commercial downtown of Manila.

The museum will also pay tribute to the prominent Chinese-Filipino personalities and families who have contributed immensely to the progress and development of Binondo. These include highly respected Chinese businessmen such as Luis Rafael Yangco, Telesforo Chuidian, Carlos Palanca, Tan Quien-sien, Mariano Limjap, Hilario Sunico, Don Bonifacio Limtuaco and Roman Ongpin whose El 82 store had a dual purpose: selling art materials and supporting the revolution.

“Through the Chinatown Museum and with the help of the National Geographic Channel, we hope to increase people’s knowledge about the richness of the long and intertwined history of Chinese and Filipinos and how it shaped us as a nation, while promoting social and cultural integration within the community and preserving the distinct Chinese-Filipino tradition we have here in Binondo,” says Kevin Tan, Megaworld senior vice president and head of Megaworld Lifestyle Malls.