?IN every aspect of Philippine life, in every phase of our history, in its culture and tradition, language and songs, in everything Filipino, there throbs a Chinese presence, which found its way there long before Philippine recorded history,? says Teresita ?Tessy? Ang-See, popular crusader and founder of Bahay Tsinoy Museum.

?Throughout Philippine history, the destiny of the Chinese-Filipinos has been closely intertwined with Filipinos. In every significant event that shaped the Philippines as a nation, the Chinese-Filipinos have marked their presence. In the end, in everything that is Filipino, there emerges the Tsinoy?the Chinese who is Filipino or the Filipino who is Chinese?molded through the centuries by Philippine life, enriching this land with the legacies of his Chinese heritage.?

Ang-See had long yearned for a museum to showcase the history and development of the Tsinoy in the Philippines. Her dream came true 10 years ago. On Jan. 19, 1999, Bahay Tsinoy was inaugurated at Intramuros, Manila.

Through life-size exhibits and rare collections, the museum revealed the emergence of the Tsinoy, from early contacts in prehistory, to the Parian in Spanish times and the battles for independence and, finally, to present-day leadership in society.

Beginnings

During the ice age, land bridges connected the Philippines to the rest of Asia. Tribes from southern China reached the islands, bringing with them not only material goods, but also cultural practices that we still see today. (The majority of Tsinoys today hail from southern China.)

Filipinos and Chinese exchanged silk, porcelain, farm tools, ornaments, pearls, swallow nests and many other products.

?The Chinese found the Filipinos trustworthy,? says Ang-See?s daughter Meah. ?The Chinese would often leave the goods with the village chief, who guaranteed that his people would pay for them. Then the Chinese would go to other shores for more trade and come back after many months, assured that the Filipinos would give back native goods in exchange.? Relations between the Chinese and Filipinos predated Magellan?s arrival by centuries.

In Spanish times, the Chinese (called Sangleys by the Spaniards) became the backbone of the economy. But the Spaniards started persecuting them because of the increase in their population. Aside from bloody massacres, the Spaniards sequestered the Chinese in the Parian, where they were mostly laborers, merchants and artisans.

The Chinese helped build many churches, foremost among them San Agustin Church, which still stands today. ?The arms on the chairs are of Chinese design, and there are dragons on the roof,? Tessy points out. The Chinese carved religious icons, often with Chinese motifs. They printed religious books, including the first three books in the country: ?Doctrina Christiana en Lengua Tagala?,,?Doctrina Christiana en Lengua Tsina,? and ?Shih Lu Apologia de la Verdadera Religion? (What is the True Religion?).

In fact, Spain wanted to use the Philippines as a stepping-stone to spread Christianity in China, so many Spaniards decided to learn the Chinese language. ?Imagine converting a million barbarian souls in Cathay!? the friars told their king.

Christianity was generally welcomed by the Chinese, and indeed today, many of them practice religious syncretism, a combination of Catholicism and Buddhism. Both Lorenzo Ruiz, the first Filipino saint, and Mother Ignacia del Espiritu Santo (soon to be first Filipina saint) had Chinese fathers and Filipino mothers.

To protect themselves, the Chinese formed groups, such as schools, hospitals, cemeteries, businesses. At the end of the 19th century, China Bank, Destileria Limtuaco, Ma Mon Luk appeared.

Freedom

By the late 1800s, the Chinese had adopted the Philippines as their home. Many Chinese mestizos studied in the West, absorbing liberal ideas. These ilustrados led the reform and revolutionary movements, foremost among them Jose Rizal. Other heroes of Chinese descent were the priests Gomez, Burgos and Zamora (Gomburza), Emilio Aguinaldo, Pedro Paterno, and the Trece Martires (13 martyrs) of Cavite.

During the Japanese occupation, the Chinese formed guerilla units and fought side by side with the Filipinos. In modern times, Gen. Vicente Lim was the first Filipino graduate of Westpoint in the United States.

Many leading personalities in politics, religion, business, media and the arts are of Chinese descent like Corazon Aquino, the late Jaime Cardinal Sin, Henry Sy, John Gokongwei, Lucio Tan, Jullie Yap Daza, and Jose Mari Chan.

Chinese influences pervade the Philippines (and indeed, the world) today. From food (mami, lumpia, siopao, tsapsuy, biko) to kinship (ate, ditse, sako, diko, impo, ingkong). Chinese words are part of everyday life (bimpo, hikaw, jusi).

?There is no such thing as pansit Canton or lumpiang Shanghai, though,? says Meah, ?in Canton or in Shanghai. Since Philippine society was so open to Chinese influences, particularly in food, perhaps the pansit done here was tagged Canton because it was served by a Chinese cook. The point here is that the Philippines, at least the natives, have always been hospitable to the Chinese, thus the easy mingling of both cultures.?

?Our vegetables have Chinese names, too,? says Tessy, ?because of the Chinese laborers who opened Kennon Road going up to Baguio. A thousand Chinese, a third of the work force, blasted rock walls and perched atop bamboo scaffoldings with no safety gears. Many workers later stayed behind in Benguet and parts of Mountain Province, intermarried with the upland lasses, and started commercial vegetable gardening. Thus, all vegetables with tsay and taw?petsay, kintsay, kuchay, tawge, sitaw, bataw?were introduced by the Chinese.

?Truly, our blood may be Chinese, but our roots grow deep in Philippine soil. Our bonds are with the Filipino people.?

To mark the 10th anniversary of Bahay Tsinoy, the ?Bittersweet Exhibit? will reveal rare documents, publications and prints of Chinese life from the late 19th century to the early American period. The exhibit will run on Jan. 23-Feb. 15.

Visit Bahay Tsinoy at Kaisa-Angelo King Heritage Center, Anda cor. Cabildo Sts., Intramuros, Manila. It is open Tuesday-Sunday, 1-5 p.m. Call 5266796, 5276085, or e-mail kaisa@philonline.com or info@bahaytsinoy.org.

E-mail Queena Lee-Chua at blessbook@yahoo.com.