Shortly after the end of the Estrada Presidency which also ended my employment at the Office of the Press Secretary under newsman Sec. Rodolfo "Rod" Reyes (who was a soft-spoken man but a very effective communicator of the Palace), I received a personal invitation from then Congressman Heherson "Sonny" Alvarez to join him at the DENR right after he was invited by no less than former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to head that department.
There, I was appointed by Sonny to run the Public Affairs Office (PAO) and work hand-in-hand with career government employees in that department numbering to about sixty. This was quite a positive challenge for me, having worked with a smaller staff at the OPS.
After some time, Secretary Alvarez faced a tough uphill battle with his opponents during the committee hearings of the powerful Senate Committee on Appointments (CA) because he had allegedly stepped on some big toes both in the private and public sectors of our society.
In one such occasion as in several others, the DENR was on a head-on collision with then Manila Mayor Lito Atienza who had positioned himself to tear down the historic Mehan Garden, perhaps a favorite "pasyalan" of our grandparents during their time. The purpose of this was to give way for the proposed (and approved) construction of a multi-level parking facility and to give way for the construction of a new home for the City College of Manila aka Universidad de Manila.
Of course this confirmed reports that Atienza was more concerned with the "economic aspect" of the city rather than its historic character by preserving its parks and monuments. One also remembers how the equally old art-deco Jai-alai building on Taft Avenue was torn down unremorsefully in the name of "urban development."
Atienza was an overnight enemy of environmentalists and conservationists. This, after repeated calls by no less than the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) to preserve important historic landmarks in our country – Atienza’s Manila included. But as expected, all such appeals fell on the latter’s coin-clogged ears.
Fast-forward. When no less than Lito Atienza became DENR secretary, a huge chunk of that department’s programs were geared towards "green projects." I hope he remembered that issue he had with the late Sonny Alvarez. But I guess he saw the light and became a good environmentalist too.
Hence, I wish Lito well and fondly remember Rod and Sonny with good wishes for their respective families.
So who’s afraid of the Chinese?
Many Filipinos are proud of their Chinese lineage. And the Chinese influence seeps down into almost every facet of Philippine life and more so in the economic aspect of things.
With the Chinese lineage finding its way up to the top echelons of government and the big businessmen in the country, such fact helped put in power certain Chinoy individuals like former Claudio Teehankee, The Tuasons (Son Tua), the Locsins (Sin Loc), Manuel Yan, Nikki Coseteng, Al Yuchengco, and the controversial Cojuangco family, to name just a few.
Even our very own hero, Jose Rizal was part Chinese. The first Filipino Catholic Saint Lorenzo Ruiz was half Chinese as well. Contributions of Chinese businessmen spell the difference between victory and defeat especially in local elections.
No self-respecting politico would be caught without at least one Chinese millionaire as his “compadle.”
The first Chinese immigrants to the Philippines came as early as 2000 A.D. as traders. Many remained in the country and intermarried with the natives. Their descendants contributed much to the country’s economic growth.
Dr. H. Otley Beyer says that the first considerable trade between the Philippines and China was initiated by the hardy and venturesome traders who went through the route of the Malacca Straits after they fled South China which was then in turmoil.
Dr. Andres V. Castillo writes, “Chinese industry, patience and skill, have been demonstrated time and again in practically every phase of human endeavor they have chosen to undertake – in the arts, crafts, and trade, the processing and manufacture of commodities from indigenous raw materials, the distribution and marketing of produce, the mining of ores and the use of metals.”
The effects of their activities have permeated nearly every social and economic stratum in the country. Chinese blood flows in Filipino veins.
That is why one would wonder why these “new” Chinese hounding our territories need to be reminded that our culture does not differ too much from one another. It must be the new expansionist mindset that they now possess to venture into new lands (and waters) to the point of inflicting bullying tactics for geographical domination.
Perhaps the old guards struggle in recognizing and honoring treaties and pacts that their minions would come like thunder on a fine summer picnic day.
God forbid, it may be called West Philippine Xi someday
As I write this, a rally is happening right in front of the Senate attended by Marcos loyalists in red, asking that the International Criminal Court (ICC) be allowed to enter the country to begin its investigations on the alleged killings under the presidency of Rodrigo Duterte.
Why are the Duterte supporters in a rush to unseat President Bongbong Marcos for VP Sara Duterte to take over? So that her father’s’ gentleman’s agreement’ with Xi Jinping would see fruition up until the entire archipelago becomes one huge Chinatown?
That may be a far-fetched assumption, but it may happen if they would have it their way.
The harassment of our Filipino fishermen by Chinese boats is a clear indication of The lack of respect they have for us. In a battle for dominance, the one who controls the seas has a huge advantage over the ones who only use them for their daily sustenance.
However, we cannot sustain too long the "FPJ Syndrome" where we allow the bad guys to beat us up, for in the end it is the good guy who always wins.
And no matter how much China does not respect the UNCLOS ruling, it is always best to use diplomacy with the help of other nations recognizing the same ruling.
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