THE CHINESE HERITAGE IN ILOILO The Crazy Rich Ilonggos

THE CHINESE HERITAGE IN ILOILO The Crazy Rich Ilonggos Kung Hei Fat Choi! A tribute to our Filipino Chinese community in Iloilo in celebration of the Chinese New Year today. GUESS WHEN. Did you know the second oldest Chinese school in the Philippines & the first outside Manila was built in Iloilo City? Which school is this? Which year? EARLY SETTLEMENTS AND CHINESE COMMERCE When the Spanish settlements came to Iloilo so did the Chinese for which the Spaniards gave them commerce. Iloilo city commercial hub in “Calle Real”—known as the Royal Street- of Iloilo City at the turn of the century, was mushroomed with Chinese businesses. As such from panaderia, panciteria, farmacia to zapateria, the Chinese took Spanish words into their enterprises, well until the British and the Americans settled in Iloilo and when the Spaniards left the country from Iloilo, making Iloilo the last bastion of the Spanish empire in Asia. When the Spaniards left Iloilo in 1898, it commenced the "Americanization" of Iloilo, for example, creating the first ever mall- type department store in the country called Hoskyn's, named after the American owner Henry Hoskyn with partners including Gregorio Manuel Loring, the first American vice consul in Iloilo. Yet the Chinese merchants stayed on side by side with the Americans. RESTRICTION TO AMALGAMATION In the 1850’s the Spanish government restricted the enterprises of the Chinese except perhaps in Manila, Cebu and Iloilo –the three most important economic centers in the country at the time, which remains so these days. My mother shared stories with me that during the Japanese attack on Iloilo some Ilonggo Chinese went to Palawan, a nearby island. Her siblings relayed to her that even with those very far distant places there were Chinese merchants you will see them everywhere, never mind how remote. THE CHINESE SPANISH BRITISH AND AMERICANS IN ILOILO The Spanish Catholic church restricted the Chinese immigration to the Philippines, or their movement in the archipelago, because the church believed the Chinese will interfere with their mission. Eventually, the Roman Catholic converted the Chinese migrants called Chinese Catholic mestizos which, thus, allowed them to travel freely. In Manila, Cebu and Iloilo the Chinese developed a highly successful mestizo elite who were loyal Catholics and supporters of Spanish rule becoming also major contributors to the church. When the Americans conquered Iloilo they came bringing along Protestantism, many Chinese also became members of the church and today connected with Filipino-Chinese migration to the United States through Christianity as well as American schools in Iloilo established by the Americans themselves. Through the Spanish colonization, the Chinese in Iloilo, including those in all parts of the country, had to acquire Spanish first and family names. The wealthy and prominent López family of Iloilo descended from Basílio López (c. 1800–c. 1875), a Chinese mestizo who adopted the surname of his Spanish master, López, upon the latter's death. He married a Jalandoni, from another wealthy family in Jaro. Fernando Lopez, married to a Javellana of Jaro, served as Vice President of the Philippines under Presidents Elpidio Quirino and Ferdinand Marcos, an accomplishment for an Ilonggo. Don Eugenio Hofileña López Sr. was a leading figure in the Philippines & founder of the Lopez Group of Companies which includes ABS CBN, Sky able, Meralco, Negros Navigation, among others. EARLY CHINESE ILONGGO FAMILIES Most Chinese migration from China in Iloilo were men and settled in Molo , known as Pari-an at that time. They married native Ilonggas, most of them extremely good looking, educated and highly refined women in society and from "buena familia"--the Ilonggo aristocrats. Some of these women had either parents born in Spain, for example, the first ever beauty queen of the Philippines, Pura Garcia Villanueva of Arevalo ( competed in a pageant at the Carnival Queen circa 1900), whose mother was from Palencia, Spain. Sooner many of these Ilonggo Chinese men became taipans in the Philippines with descendants named Consing, Ditching, Conlu, Chuseuy, Tan, Ganzon, Guanzon, Jocson, Lacson, Locsin, Layson, Sianson, Yulo, Lopez and Yasay. The maternal family of Jose Mari Chan, Nikki Guanco Coseteng and John Gokongwei is of the Marquez Lim Iloilo genealogy. In the later years, wealthy clans of the Que, Ong, Dingcong, Chu, Ang, Ng, Po, So , Te , Woo, Yap, Sison,Uygonco families and Spanish metizo names such as Bautista, Conducta, Jardeleza, Juaneza, Madrigal, Magalona, Drilon and Santos build formidable influences and industries in Iloilo. More listings include family surnames Biazon, Espina,Cojuangco, Ganzon, Goson, Guason,Gamboa, Lacson, Layson, Limsiaco, Limjuco, Martinez, Ongpauco, Espinosa, Pechangco, Quimpo, Samson, Tancingco, Uygongco and Yapco. In the process, they were called the Chinese mestizos, assuming the Spanish names. I remember my mother, as a public health nurse, stood to so many Chinese as sponsor for their Filipino naturalization, attesting to their residency and allegiance and contribution to the community in Iloilo. Iloilo became a boom town beginning 1855, in which foreign ships docked at its finest harbour, while it was only Manila that enjoyed it. The Chinese mestizos in Iloilo focused their entrepreneurial adeptness, mostly from Molo and Jaro, first in textile manufacturing then on to planting sugar cane and buying sugar plantations in Negros and became extremely wealthy—the modern word refered to as “ the crazy rich Ilonggos.” One of these prominent Ilonggo Chinese mestizos was Aniceto Lacson y Ledesma from Molo, married to a Filipina Rosario Araneta, who governed Negros as leader of the Negros Republic in 1857. He was a schoolmate in Manila and a revolutionary colleque of Jose Rizal, a Chinese mestizo, who visited Molo, perhaps we now see the connection why Rizal visited Molo. Consequently, because of good business, many prominent Ilonggo Chinese mestizo sugarcane planters like the Ledesma, Lacson, Lopez, Lizares, Hilado, Cosculluela, Perez, Alvarez, Sotamayor and Escanilla families moved to Negros. At the turn of the century, with so much wealth, Iloilo along Calle Eugenio Lopez created the first millionaires row in the country lined with magnificent mansions many are as fabulous than Malacanang Palace in scale. BY GONE ERA It is written in Ilonggo history that it was only the Chinese who were allowed by the Iloilo government in 1890’s to operate opium dens in the city. Opium was authorized by the Spanish authorities, like the British did in China, as a source of revenue for its government. It was barred by the Americans when they settled in Iloilo. TRACING THE ROOTS How early did the Chinese set foot in Iloilo? Did they settle in before the Spanish period? Perhaps it is hard to tell. But the archaeologists and historians suggest that it started as early as 10th to 11th centuries because Panay Island had already a well established trade with the Chinese at that time, given the archaeological proof. It was 200 years before the coming of the ten Borean datus in Panay. That brings us back to the contact of the Ilonggos with the Chinese traders in Sung Dynasty which begun 960 A.D. until about 1280 trading through Molo which was the commercial port of Iloilo at that time. They bartered silk, porcelain, damasks textiles in exchange for bountiful sea, farm and forest products of Iloilo. CHINESE INFLUENCES IN ILOILO CULTURE TODAY 1. SUGAR, FOOD AND SWEETS. The Chinese introduced sugar in Iloilo with as variety called “sakara” which was from India, others said from Saudi Arabia, by which the Chinese taught the natives how to extract sugar juice into granules and prepared an Ilonggo delicacy from hardened sugar called “pinarak.” Aside from the “Pinarak”, the Chinese Ilonggos gave Iloilo batchoy, bihon, lumpia, pancit molo, siomai, hototai and siopao. The Chinese also introduced fermented food to Ilonggos such as patis, tuyo and even “fish ginamos” which really originated from ancient China. The famous family Uy of Jaro founded one of the oldest stone oven bakeries in Jaro Iloilo-- Panaderia ni Paa-- in 1898 and is still much well in business today. 2. CAMISA CHINO. Obviously referring to the Chinese mandarin collar in our Barong Tagalog. 3. MAHJONG. The recreational game which binds family members together and their neighbours which is also an exercise on sharping one's cognitive thinking. 4. FENG SHUI, the art of beliefs and practices on wellness although many modern Chinese don’t follow them as much as in the past. 5. FIRECRACKERS. Of course, to drive away bad luck and ill-spirits. 6. SCHOOLS. Great quality schools. I remember it was said, if a Chinese Cebuano is not toughened in Chinese schools in Cebu, they are moved to Chinese schools in Iloilo. 7. CHINESE WORDS. “ biombo” folding screen, “canton”, charola ( English charoll) for shiny surface, soja for soya and bonso referring to youngest kin, originally refered to as monks. My nephew from my uncle who is a Chinese Locsin from Molo was fondly called by our family in his Chinese name “Bonso”. Iloilo was founded in 1566 when the Spaniards established a settlement area between the towns of Oton and the city's present district of La Villa Rica de Arevalo (Villa de Arevalo). Iloilo City became one of the Royal Spanish Cities in the Philippines in the Spanish Asia along with Naga and Manila. An honorific royal title, "La Muy Leal y Noble Ciudad" ("The Most Loyal and Noble City") was given by Queen Regent of Spain, Maria Christina, through the city's loyalty to the Spanish crown during the Philippine revolution, the second city to have such byname in the country after the City of Manila in the Spanish colonial era Philippines. Part of building Iloilo was the role of the Chinese community which until today continues, be it in economic, social and philathrophic activities. With the rich history of Chinese mestizos in Iloilo, including the current ancestries who embrace and promote our local Ilonggo produce, culture, arts and crafts—the new generation of Chinese Mestizo Ilonggo, many raised to be highly educated, gracious and good looking, certainly will pass on their legacies to the succeeding generations of Chinese Ilonggo mestizos. As written by PJ Aranador February 12 2020 #iloilo #filipinochinese #pjaranador

THE MANSIONS IN ILOILO from JARO TO GUIMBAL.

Iloilo City is host to an impressive classical architectural wonders and homes are huge, many are like palaces. Even modern Iloilo houses today are huge and spanking--perhaps reminiscent of Iloilo's glorious past which created the first billionaire's row in the Philippines where rows of stunning and sprawling mansions were built at the turn of the century ( and still stand today). Today that tradition for having huge mansions and houses is, well, normal. A six to eight bedroom house is not unusual in Iloilo. Why the issue about the three bedroom house of Mayor Jed Mabilog is dragged into this drug issue, for Ilonggos it seems odd. Perhaps because when we look at the Mayor's house, in Iloilo it is, sorry for the word, normal. The Mayor's house is most likely priced at Php 8 million and it is modest in Iloilo. I am a designer of residences, interiors and resorts, too, so I know costings. Sitting on their own family heritage lot ( meaning inherited land from their family) at 200 sq. m. ( again just normal), the house would cost about 30-40 k per sq meter even less ( excluding the furnishings which is just average). It has no swimming pool or other luxuries like centralized aircon. Of course the area is prime, and the value of the house can go up rapidly. Normal. Making it spacious, the little almost studio type kitchen is open plan and connects to the sala with modest furnishings---average in metropolitan Iloilo or any city or standard modest home in the USA. Many Ilonggos are, modesty aside, very affluent with the most transparent businesses. Many are so, rather, extremely, wealthy by inheritance or by hard work. I have seen much bigger houses in Iloilo in exclusive villages in Casa Real or Ledesco and in towns like Molo, Villa, Miagao , Tigbauan, Guimbal, Oton, Jaro , Cabatuan and Pavia owned by seafarers ( many extremely wealthy ship captains and pilots ), lucky professional OFWs and the old rich Ilonggos. Though, of course, the Mabilog house when photographed, due to its linear lay-out and all white advancing color, looks big, and inside, very open to be home-y for a small happy family. But by scale it is small comparable to the other houses in Iloilo. Pres. Duterte claimed Mayor Mabilog lives in a palace. That is a bit sinister. When his people tells him something, it is almost wrong or half-truths because they do not check ( ocular, verify, validate). Just hearsays. Then they will take back what they were saying when they are wrong. Any upper middle class family like the Mabilogs can always also dream for a house after working for so many years. Their family can afford it. They are affluent. Who does not want a nice modest house if you can afford it? Marivic, the wife of the Mayor, has worked for 30 years as VP for an engineering company in Canada and earning in dollars, thus, a Php 5 million salary per annum in North America is achieveable there. Plus her retirement fees. We say, the combined income of a married couple usually makes them richer. In Iloilo apart from luxurious houses are high end luxury cars. Normal for Ilonggos to see them everyday in the streets. My mother once told me a story. She said, never be envious if someone drives a nicer car than you do, or someone has a bigger house than what you have. You will never know how hard that person worked for it, how much sacrifice a person went through or saved so much money to get what he wanted in life. And her punch line--- he may drive a nice fast flashy car, but his underwear have holes he can no longer afford to buy one! But what people are saying, the house of the Mayor was from drugs. Implausible it may seems. If Mabilog was into drugs, then charge him. Just do not judge him through public announcements like "Mabuhay pa kaya siya?" Hey, whether he is a mayor or not, he has a family. You are hurting his family like any normal family should feel. Will Ilonggos just accept the opinions of President Duterte just saying “Basta maniwala kayo sa kin, narco-politician yan or protector ng droga yan”? Iloilo as most shabulized and bedrock of drugs as if our city is bloodied with it yet Davao has personalities much more involved with the biggest php 6.4 billion drug loot. C'mon do not use Iloilo as a scape goat.

A JOURNEY ON WINGS.

A JOURNEY ON WINGS. A film on one of the world's richest cultural heritage, arts and crafts,folklore,music and dance of the indigenous people of Panay Bukidnon Suludnon of Calinog Iloilo, Panay Island at the heart of the Philippines. What defines them in their identity in a modem world? Will their ancient pre-historic beliefs and practices be inherited by their younger generation? Will modernity endanger their art forms and creative expressions? A film by NCCA and IDFI. From the story and direction of PJ Arañador. Featuring the tribe members of Garangan Calinog ILoilo with Rennel Lavilla , Elijah Villarina , Isaiah Julian Jared Las and Rolinda Gilbaliga Algie Casuela Panaguiton Jr. cinematographer. Zeth Jimenez editor. Coming soon virtually right in your homes.

Caballerohttps://web.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10224395489851319&set=pcb.10224395491851369

UPCYCLED REPURPOSED KATSA FLOUR SACK APPAREL by Nautilus PJ Aranador Boracay and Iloilo

CIRCULAR FASHION FROM ILOILO CITY BOUND FOR NEW YORK CITY.

BOUND FOR NEW YORK CITY. Selling Iloilo internationally at this time of pandemic takes a toll of innovative thinking. I never imagined our repurposed katsa and pandan bags of Guimaras will be received well abroad. The collection is sold for New York's summer season 2021. Each piece is individually handpainted with Iloilo's advocacy for farming and cultural identity. The accessories revives the bayong and tampipi, oversized for the roomy flair. All done by our community of marginalized artisans. Available in Iloilo. We deliver to your doorstep. AS FEATURED BY PHILIPPINE INQUIRER https://lifestyle.inquirer.net/.../upcycling.../amp/... #circulareconomy #sustainablefashion PHOTOS Bella Dim HMUA Benny Che LOCATION The Avenue Smallville Iloilo City

Miss Universe Philippines Iloilo Province 2020 Kim Crizaldo

BE THE NEXT MISS UNIVERSE ILOILO PROVINCE like she did in 2020 during the pandemic. Kim Crizaldo’s advocacy on Public Health and Sanitation was a foresight before the pandemic.? As a flight attendant meticulous on tidiness and cleaniness, she wants to educate everyone on the proper washing of hands. This was her crusade and still is. How relevant it is to take care of ourselves and be conscious of personal and public hygiene is even more crucial at this time. She taught kids how to wash their hands properly because for her, our hands contract and spread diseases first from germs including viruses. She believes this must be start with the young ones in order for them to become responsible citizens of tomorrow. Kim believes that “Other than that, we’ve also seen the importance of our health care system and that is something that we should further improve to be as competent as other nations. My advocacy also includes giving potable water, toilet for every household and implementing more environmental activities in the hopes of living in a healthy environment. When the quarantine started, it was quite a shock for me because I am a Flight Attendant used to having busy schedules. This lockdown has given us the luxury of time to spend with our families and ourselves. I am also thankful that I get the time to push through with my studies. I am currently studying my MBA and online classes is what keeps me busy. Other than that, I would read books, check current news and also check my donation drive “Piso-Piso Para Sa Iloilo”. This donation drive is created to gather funds for the creation of Personal Protective Equipments for our frontliners.” The search is still on who will be in succession. #MissUniversePhilippines Photo by Studio Yatco Manila 0

SUSTAINABLE FASHION ILOILO

 ILONGGA NGA MUNGA. Ilongga hen.

If there is a fierce ILONGGO NGA SULOG, Ilonggo rooster, there is a soft spoken ILONGGA NGA MUNGA, behind him.

With CARGADOR "purontong" / calzoncillos shorts.

#sustainablefashion #circulareconomy

Model Sharon Idone Miss Iloilo Dinagyang Tourism 2019 and Miss Millennial Iloilo 2019 HMUA Benny Che Photo Bella Dim

READ

https://lifestyle.inquirer.net/.../upcycling.../amp

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REPURPOSED KATSA upcycled flour sacks into garments

 STAY HOME STYLE. Do you remember when our garments including our underwear was crafted in katsa in the past? We bring back this look out of modern Ilonggo sensibilities for reason of frugality, responsibility, circularity and sustainability.

The Katsa shirt and purontong shorts and handloom pandan with leather bayong bags

MISS UNIVERSE PHILIPPINES 2021 Iloilo Province The Impeccable Ilongga

WHO WILL REPRESENT YOUR TOWN?

Did you know Iloilo Province has 42 municipalities and 2 cities? Which town and district will you cheer for?

Did you know that the two Miss Universe Philippines 2020 representatives from Iloilo Province and Iloilo City are from the 5th District known as Quinto Distrito? Now is the chance for you to represent your town and district at the Miss Universe Philippines 2021 Iloilo Province search.

Who will promote your town tourism, culture, arts, history and identity? Who will be your community ambassador?

Be " The Impeccable Ilongga".

SEE DETAILS BELOW.

FIRST DISTRICT- PRIMERO DISTRITO-

7 Municipalities

Oton

Tigbauan

Tubungan

Igbaras

Guimbal

Miag-ao

San Juaquin

SECOND DISTRICT- SEGUNDO DISTRITO- 8 Municipalities

Leganes

Pavia

Zarraga

New Lucena

Santa Barbara

San Miguel

Alimodian

Leon

3rd District – TERCERO DISTRITO-

9 Municipalities

Cabatuan

Mina

Pototan

Maasin

Janiuay

Badiangan

Lambunao

Calinog

Bingawan

4th District-CUARTO DISTRITO-

8 Municipalities

Anilao

Banate

Barotac Nuevo

Dingle

Dueñas

Dumangas

Passi City

San Enrique

5th District- QUINTO DISTRITO-

11 Municipalities

Barotac Viejo

San Rafael

Lemery

Ajuy

Sara

Concepcion

San Dionisio

Batad

Balasan

Estancia

Carles

Application form and details https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10224298981478670&id=1127803364&sfnsn=mo

Please SHARE Para MASADYA Kita!

#missuniversephilippines

Kim Crizaldo Bombette Golez Marin Algie Casuela Panaguiton Jr. Zeth Jimenez Jared Las