(0:00:00) Good evening, allow me to talk a little bit about a parallel to a biblical story to the journey of the filipino chinese. The bible talks about a persistent widow there was this widow who suffered injustice but she couldn’t get justice so she went to the judge in his office and said judge give me justice.
(0:00:27) The judge said, I don’t fear God, I don’t fear people, did not listen to the widow. So the widow went back day after day after day. She was not listened to. So she went to his house, probably talked to his wife, probably waited outside and told the judge, judge, please give me justice. Because she was so persistent, the judge finally came out and said…
(0:00:58) I don’t fear God nor man. But because you are so persistent, dahil ang kulit-kulit mo, tell me what I can do and I will give you justice. Growing up in the 1980s, talking about the American dream, I did not really feel that in the US. My mother’s American. But I did not see the possibility of an American dream here in the Philippines.
(0:01:27) But any one of us who had a Filipino-Chinese friend had that story of someone coming from China in the 50s, 40s, or 60s, wearing plain jeans, a plain white or black t-shirt, maybe a jacket, slippers, starting in a restaurant, in a hotel, maybe sa city hall ni Mayor Isko.
(0:01:57) Starting in a manufacturing company, after five years, nakabihis na, medyo na sa supervisor na. After 10 years, manager na. After 25 years, siya na ang may ari ng kompanya. That was my impression of the American dream growing up, looking at the success of the Filipino-Chinese. Maybe at this time, I just want to acknowledge Dr. Lu Xu Tan, of course, the Chairman Emeritus of the Federation. Mr. Victor Lim, thank you very much, sir, Mr. President, for the invitation. Your Excellency, Ambassador of China, Ambassador Quan, thank you for the friendship of your country and our country. The Ambassadors, Your Excellencies, especially of ASEAN, thank you for being here tonight. Ambassador Francis Chua, honorary President.
(0:02:56) The immediate past president, a brother in Christ, Dr. Cecilio Pedro. Good evening, sir. Mr. Angel Ngu, Tito Angel, honorary president. Domingo Yap, honorary president. Jimmy Tang, honorary president. John K. Tan, honorary president. Dr. Alfonso Uy, honorary president. And Mr. Tan Ching, honorary president. Napakarami niyong president para kayong Senate.
(0:03:25) Mr. Jeffrey Nang, Executive Vice President. So after my youth in the 1980s, I became counselor in 1992, 21 years old. Wala pong Chinese community masyado sa Taguig. Wala pang BGC at that time.
(0:03:46) So, yung exposure sa Chinese community came on 1998 when my dad was elected Senator and I was elected Congressman. And from an American dream, para bang usual suspect ang Filipino-Chinese businessman. Whether he was small, micro-entrepreneurship, medium, or a big businessman, parating target.
(0:04:16) Target ng BIR, target ng DOJ, target ng Customs. If you remember, you invited me sometime 2013 because BIR Commissioner Henares was supposed to be your keynote speaker during your anniversary.
(0:04:40) But instead of congratulating you, if you remember, she scolded you about paying the right taxes. And when she left, I think I was there the next day, some of you were telling me, sir, why is the BIR scolding us when most of us here are importers and traders? We deal more with the Bureau of Customs than there. And we were even given an award by the Bureau of Customs last month. So my point is perception and reality. After I was told that, sabi ko bakit hindi niyo ako in-invite? Nagbigay pa kayo ng award sa lahat ng na sa gobyerno na Filipino-Chinese.
(0:05:24) Sabi nila, bakit ka namin bibigyan ng award eh Amerikano ka. Amerikana nanay mo. Sabi ko my grandfather Blas Luna, is Chinese. His daughter, Juliana Luna is half Chinese, which was my father’s mother. Kaya kami nagkalupa sa Pateros, because my great grandfather was a Chinese surveyor. Again, perception and reality.
(0:05:50) Sometime in 2018 President Xi Jinping visited the Philippines it was announced that it is the golden age of the relationship between China and the Philippines, I’m not a man of regret just like Mayor Isko, we we face troubles every day see where God brings us and try to do our best di ba, Mayor ganun ang buhay.
(0:06:14) But there’s only one thing looking back that I regret. That I had to resign to run for Congress and to run for Speaker before signing the joint exploration between the Philippines and China. Weeks lang sana inabot ko yung signing. If we signed that…
(0:06:36) Hindi sana ganun kalaki ang problema natin ngayon sa presyo ng langis at saka ng natural gas. Because it takes five to seven years for that. We could have signed it in 2018. Perception. Everyone against it and against China, was saying, it’s not a fair deal. China was willing to give us a deal better than Malampaya and Shell. They were willing to give us that deal.
(0:07:05) But because of all the noise and perception rather than reality, we were not able to do that. One thing I noticed about Chinese-Filipinos and Chinese in general, when people see crisis, you see opportunity, hindi po ba? In every opportunity, baka may business opportunity jaan, in every crisis.
(0:07:32) Sabi nga ng iba, never let a good crisis go to waste. It’s true. In every crisis, there are losers. There are winners. And this generation, the young men and women, and Mr. Chinatown, I guess they’re between 20 to 25 years old. I saw them a while ago. Can you imagine five crises in 10 years?
(0:08:01) During Duterte’s time, it depends on what side you were on. If you were pro-Duterte, you would say it’s a crisis, it’s a narco-politics crisis. We had a problem with drugs. If you’re on the other side, you’d say it’s a human rights crisis, ang daming extrajudicial killing. If you’re somewhat in the middle, ah pareho. Problema droga, problema patayan. Before the Duterte administration ended or in the middle, COVID-19, second crisis.
(0:08:29) 2022, right before the election, akala natin medyo yung taas ng presyo because of the Ukraine-Russia crisis was already it, not knowing that was just a prelude to the U.S.-Israel-Iran war now that is driving up all the prices, creating all the problems, not only inflation, logistics, etc., problems with fertilizers that we will experience in the next planting season, no?
(0:08:59) But fourth is the flood control scam, the biggest corruption scandal in the Philippines ever. If we handle it correctly, we can eliminate corruption in the country. If we don’t handle it properly, we will have the biggest cover-up in our history. Number five, not more of a crisis but a potential crisis, AI.
(0:09:28) AI will change everything. So can you imagine in 10 years, 2016 to 2026, our young people, your children, have faced this. So in one sense, bugbog sila. On the other sense, they’re probably more prepared for the future than we are. So today, as we celebrate 128 years of Independence, and as I fight for the independence of the Senate, we also celebrate our friendship with China.
(0:10:00) Just like the Filipino-Chinese, marami kayong struggle sa kalye. You are not where you are today. Because you did not struggle. You are here today with such a big event with the top leaders of our country from different fields because you struggled with us, for us. Maybe we can do the same between the countries of the Philippines and China. With the economic crisis that is here and will get worse, who will help each other? Neighbors. Neighbors.
(0:10:37) We have real problems with China in the South China Sea. But we also have real projects of friendship. When we had a problem in Marawi, China had to retool their armory or their factories for guns because we requested guns and they were not making those type of guns.
(0:11:03) They help us during our time of need. So you know, it’s not about being pro-US or being pro-China. It’s about being pro-Philippines and saying all of them should be our friends. We should not have enemies. And that is what Filipino-Chinese is about. You don’t want enemies. But whether it’s in business, whether it’s in government, somehow enemies just come along. Believe it or not.
(0:11:31) I’m more diplomatic but somehow trouble finds me. But I’d rather be nowhere tonight but then celebrating with you because through your achievements each and every table here I see there is much hope. So again, thank you for this opportunity. Mabuhay ang Filipino-Chinese. Mabuhay ang relationship ng ating mahal na bansang Pilipinas and China. Thank you.
