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{\*\generator Msftedit 5.41.15.1507;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\f0\fs16 Many Filipino
s may not realize -- as evidenced by the rare coins, tradewares, and other unear
thed artifacts -- there were extensive contacts between the Chinese and Filipino
s long before the arrival of the Spaniards.\par
Early records also indicate the active trading between the Chinese and our nor
thern and southern islanders by the late 10th century in which bartering was the
medium of their transactions. There were also archived journals about certain F
ilipinos visiting China; foremost of which was the one made by the Sultan of Sul
u Paduka Batara. The Sultan went to Beijing to pay tribute to the Imperial Court
of Emperor Yung Lo in 1417, but died on his way back home.\par
From these longtime trading relations, the Chinese subsequently began to immig
rate to the archipelago in large numbers to escape a harsh life back home in Chi
na. However, what they experienced in the archipelago was an even harsher life f
ull of hard working conditions. It was the Galleon Trade -- which linked the jun
k trading system from China to Acapulco (and to the rest of Europe for 250 years
) -- that firmly planted the Chinese immigrants on the Philippine soil, as well
as continue to attract more Chinese into the archipelago.\par
Sangley, the term used by the Spaniards for the Chinese, comes from the word s
iong-tay, literally "often comes" in Hokkien. The Sangleys came as merchants, la
borers, and artisans; becoming the integral backbone of the Spanish colonial eco
nomy in no time. But because of their growing population, which outnumbered the
Spanish presence, the local authorities grew fearful and distrustful of them; re
sulting to persecution and harassment including large-scale massacres of the Chi
nese.\par
The Spanish authorities separated them in quarters called parian. Due to massa
cres or fires, the Spaniards changed the location of the parians nine times. In
1790, when the last parian was destroyed, the Chinese were allowed to join the b
aptized Chinese in Binondo and Santa Cruz. In fact, it was the Chinese craftsmen
and artisans that brought affluence to the Jesuit-controlled parian of Santa Cr
uz in Manila much to the astonishment of the Dominicans.\par
At the end of the 19th century, with life becoming even more difficult for the
Chinese settlers because of continued Spanish harassment, the Chinese started t
o form institutions for self-protection. They also built their first school, hos
pital and cemetery. The first business institution, the Chinese Chamber of Comme
rce was also formed, and pioneer businesses like China Bank, Destileria Limtuaco
, Yutivo and Ma Mon Luk started to appear.\par
Bahay Tsinoy takes its visitors through the saga of the Chinese Filipinos as t
heir identities in the archipelago transform and evolve from merchant seamen, to
immigrant laborers, to mestizos, to ilustrados, to revolutionists and to Tsinoy
s which continue to help build our nation.\par
}