How the Chinese lived in the Philippines from 1570 to 1898

Title

Language

Spanish

Year

1953

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Fulltext

"HOW THE CHINESE LIVED IN THE PHILIPPINES FROM 1570 to 1898" On Scptcmb~r 10. 1953, Mr. Shubert S. C. Liao gave ;1 confrrc:nce on the subject: "How the Chinese Li,·(;d in the Philippines from 1570 to 1&98" at the American Hii:;torical Collectlon. Ahhough Mr. Li<lo hc:is rderred eight times to Spanish sources o f informa1ion (Mo..-9a, Pastdis. Monr tern, Liquete. Sant.a Cruz) neve.rlhclc"'~ the reporls \\.'C'e based on American. rese11rch work. ( Forem(ln, Blair <Jnd Robertson), 11 i~ to be r·eHreued that the use o( these versions, written rnany y~afs a9o. Jack precision. infornrnth:m c.md color~. The American compilatton of Spanish lexrhoolcs ot the period. rcllect \'Cry poorly these facts. It is necesMry lo read the S paJtish writi1,9s which datt bac:k to the Xv'J and XVH Centuries in order to be acquainted with the continuous and profound admiration or it!l au1hor:;; with rcgurd to the sobriety. cap{ICity and ma11~.P.I ;'lbility of the Chinese lt1borer.s, who aJready po~ses:i;cd u highly elabora•e culture. In the fir5t d.iys of the Spanish regime. th.ey comprised the proltl<lri<m und nrtistk bloc:.-. The Chinese '.Ve.re the fir.st luborcr.s employed in the Spt1oi.'>h pri11ting pre.'is in this urea of the world. Chinese m;.1sons too under the 91.1idnrn.:e l)f Sr.1ni"\h engineers wholly constructed the tnassivc wall~ of lntr~muros. SomethinQ more should be <l<lded. Manila was cstublished becuuse ol economic reasons. Jt was the center of a flourishing trnde initiilled in 1572 bet\}.'etn China~Me'l:iCO '1•1d Europe. Without thi.s commercial uaUic rhar accounted for immense profits. this City would not ht1vc excelled many E1.1rope11n metropolis as the case was back i11 the XVII Century. , · . In 1750. the Chinese in Manila numbtrtd 40. The trade betY.'Cen Me"ico iind Spain wa!' established in tj72 and 30 years 'ater, there were 10.000 Chine!!;e in the Philippines. 30.000 of them lived in Manila ;ilont {at that time. there were about J .000 Spalliard~}. The numeric disproportion coupltd with the threats th;.it came from the Chintse mainland. resuhed in per ;ecution:i; that never quite succeeded in reducing the referred to £igure. It w;:is then that the King of Spa in ordered that the Chinese community should at no tlnie exceed 6.000. He kne\\' quite: weU that the Philippines was the glorious haven for many who fled from political tyramiy crnd periodic hunger of their Motherland. Dating back to the XVI and XVII Centuries. hospitals for laborers. (Snn Gabriel), schools nnd ~o· cial laws two centuries ;1dv .. nced as compared with many European countries of the epoch we.re instituted i11 che Philippines. All this sociill progress was due or attributed to the policy of Spain. The .. 11ot fair lreatrne:nt" alleged to was only an aftermath of revolts against authority. in two or three occ<1sions. where an imminent danger of an invasion was feared. The Chinese acquired ~reat wealth ic1 Martila and returned lo their country years after ve:y much enric:1ed. In 1850. they were granted equal right:-; in rhe economic field a~ any othe:r existing race fn this Archiptlago. They could participate: in pub- ! lie ornction~. banking transactions. etc .. the:re:by giving them .J chann to expand commercially in an extr<lordinary manner. As a conseque:ncc of which. trade in Manila was controlled by the Chinese and the: Eng ~ lish. • By" 1he end of the XIX Century. the Chinese immigration into this country was so great th.at in 1893 <l more severe "'"" was promulgaled in order to ;ivoid ;. ch<lnge in it:i; riopulation. The rich h~d to pay a cedula tax of Thirt)' Pesos ;,nnu.,Jly, <ind a sc-<1le or taxts \l.'.OS set consi~tinQ of eight categories (25. 20. 15. W. 6. 3 and 0 pesos.). This ruling however. did not impede rhe Chinese in flu" in.to the Philippines. as they were con\'inced that this was the Promise Land. There is Or'le objection to Mr. Liao's conference. ny making use or antiquated American informalion. he has .:tdopted adjecti\:e:s half a centu(y old. which are ~n<tdequale: at present. It is foe that reason that he determines th~ existing J'; "nd 6'; ti'lxes levied on commercia1 Cr.amoactions a:; "exorbitm1i'" (despite the liki·\\'ise fabulous. ~eturn!'> from business). But wh~n we tnkc into account the actual tax~s impo~~d throuohout rh~ wor~~ rn11q ing fr.om. 15. 20. 40. up ~o 98''. ~·"it nor unjust to define an insi9nir1cant 6'.., tax as "c xortlit;H)f 1 What <"d1ect1ve would h[storian.s use m the future to cldine an xo··; or 98/; 1.u? sian ~~~ ~t~;icf~~:~~0~11 0cr°';:~~~ i~s~~·~d!11~/hc y~ar 1900 hav~ become obsolate. The 11ecessity for a revi0. A. P3.gin.a 20 ESPA~A

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