Binondo on my mind

For many years I witnessed with my own eyes how our Chinese brothers and sisters understood the theory behind finding opportunity in crisis. Visiting family in Spain has exposed me to the many success stories of my Asian neighbors who uprooted from the East and made a life in Europe through persistence and their valuable economics. History has shown us, however, that this attitude of “economic persistence,” if we can call it that, is a trait found lingering still in the streets of Binondo.

Established in 1594 by the Spaniards as a settlement near Intramuros, Binondo is a district in Manila and it is the world’s oldest Chinatown. Even before then however, it was already known as a hub for Chinese commerce. Before World War II, Binondo was the center of a banking and financial community that were mostly located along Escolta which, as my abuelita described, was the “queen of the streets.”

As a little girl, my parents often took my siblings and me to Binondo for Sunday lunch. Many times, it would be a special request made by my grandmother, Consuelo Lim vda. de Morató. In those days I would find myself a little confused as the point of our outings was to also educate us on our Chinese heritage and, as an adult, I have my grandmother to thank for such an education.

My abuelita taught me much about seizing opportunities in crisis in ways I could never understand as a young girl. Whenever I thought that my way was the only direction to take, she showed me the other side to it and it actually worked. As I grew older, my own “melting pot” became much more enriched. I learned to be creative with a dash of humor as my grandmother had a funny side to her.

“Binundok,” or Binondo as we know it, was the center for trade and for me (and I’m sure for many others), the center for food. More than trade, and especially as a young girl, and because I love to cook, food helped me understand better my intertwined culture which eventually helped me to thrive harmoniously among different communities since this, as we have always said, is the goal.

When we look at it from the diplomatic standpoint, your culture amidst the cultures of others is your starting point – your own personal spring board in understanding diversity. When I think about Binondo, I am pulled back to my roots alongside a heritage that once confused me as a little girl who was learning the many parts that made her who she was. It is the same heritage I share with many other Filipinos who must continue to understand that the weaving of our past into our present is what makes us unique and that by accepting our blended mixture (if one could call it that), we build on our strengths.

When I think of Binondo, I fondly remember my Lola Choleng who I called abuelita. A mix of names known to her Chinese and Spanish relatives that at one point I couldn’t understand yet, at some point, I learned to fully embrace as heritage calls for us to do just that.