Many Filipinos today suffer from Sinophobia. But they really do not know a regular Chinoy from a POGO Chinese. So appropriately, “Sino po ba?”
But my better friends are Filipinos of Chinese descent, and a number of them are more patriotic Chinoys than the average Pinoy, if you know what I mean. Decent, respectable, and godly Chinese-Filipinos. They who have made the Philippines their one and only motherland and home, working hard and living well.
Do you remember back in 2009 when Hong Kong journalist Chip Tsao wrote a stinging article that insulted some 130,000 Filipino then working in HK mostly as domestic helpers?
He said these words: “The Russians sank a Hong Kong freighter last month, killing the seven Chinese seamen aboard. We can live with that. Lenin and Stalin were once the ideological mentors of all Chinese people.”
“We Hong Kong Chinese love Japanese cartoons, Hello Kitty, and shopping in Shinjuku, let alone our round-the-clock obsession with karaoke. But hold on?”
“Even the Filipinos? Manila has just claimed sovereignty over the scattered rocks in the South China Sea called the Spratly Islands, complete with a blatant threat from its congress to send gunboats to the South China Sea to defend the islands from China if necessary.”
The reason? There are 130,000 Filipina maids working as cheap labor for $3,580-a-month in Hong Kong. As a nation of servants, you don’t flex your muscles at your master, from whom you earn most of your bread and butter.”
“As a patriotic Chinese man, the news has made my blood boil. I summoned Louisa, my domestic assistant who holds a degree in international politics from the University of Manila, hung a map on the wall, and gave her a harsh lecture.”
“I sternly warned her that if she wants her wages increased next year, she had better tell every one of her compatriots in Statue Square that the entirety of the Spratly Islands belongs to China. Grimly, I told her if war breaks out between the Philippines and China, I would have to end her employment and send her straight home, because I would not risk the crime of treason for sponsoring an enemy of the state by paying her to wash my toilet and clean my windows 16 hours a day.”
“With that money, she would pay taxes to her government, and they would fund a navy to invade our motherland and deeply hurt my feelings.”
“Oh yes. The government of the Philippines would certainly be wrong if they think we Chinese are prepared to swallow their insult and sit back and lose a Falkland Islands War in the Far East. They may have Barack Obama and the hawkish military behind them, but we have a hostage in each of our homes in the Mid-Levels or higher.”
“Some of my friends told me they have already declared a state of emergency at home. Their maids have been made to shout “China, Madam/Sir!” loudly whenever they hear the word “Spratly.” They say the indoctrination is working as wonderfully as when we used to shout, “Long live Chairman Mao!” at the sight of a portrait of our Great Leader during the Cultural Revolution,” was Chip Tsao’s lengthy article.
Okay, he said a mouthful and has since apologized claiming he had written so satirically. But I wouldn’t be surprised if Pinay maids in HK then were on a spitting rampage on their masters’ congees and Chow Mein each time they remembered what this bloke wrote.
Nevertheless, insults have been delivered and apologies were already given.
And yes, he has since apologized, but why did he do so in Spanish? We are an English-speaking nation, and Spanish was spoken once upon a time in the Philippines.
Mr. Tsao was perhaps totally ignorant of our nation’s history, or simply just wanted to add salt to what was a gaping wound by not apologizing in English saying “A todos los hermanos y todas las hermanas Filipinos: Lo siento mucho. Vamos a vivir en paz.” (Translation: To all Filipino brothers and sisters, I am very sorry. We should live in peace).
I wonder how many Pinoys understood that apology before translation? I’d say, “El burro sabe mas que tu!” I hope he reads this with memories of his Luotuo xiangzi forebears pulling a rickshaw.
I’m glad none other articles like this one have followed because of the delicate time we are all in when it comes to territorial disputes and the threats that confront it that are maritime in character. Criminal activities at sea threaten any peaceful attempts.
Disputes over potentially resource-rich islands and waters may destabilize relationships between countries and peoples, and Filipinos today have this growing Sinophobia in them.
As cities and communities can divide as well as unite, so can the seas where opposing elements come too close to each other. God forbid, a military build-up should never happen over the disputed territories.
Let us always return to the negotiating table and talk peace.
-o0o-
Random Memorandum: The Senate President is the primus inter pares or the first among equals in the Senate. However, he is looked upon as the most powerful figure in that institution. The Senate President is the presiding officer of the Senate as well as the leader of the majority group. Under the Constitution, the Senate President is seen as the third in line of succession after the President and the Vice-President.
-o0o-
Factoid: Colon Street in Cebu City is the oldest and shortest national road in the Philippines which was built in 1565 during the Spanish colonial period. The origin of this name is derived from Cristobal Colon, aka Christopher Columbus.
(Leslie Bocobo is a former Special Assistant to the Secretary at the Office of the Press Secretary, Malacañang, and a former Public Affairs Director of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.)
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