The friendship between the Philippines and China is so deeply rooted that it can be traced back as far as 1417—part of history that only a few knows.
There wasn't the modern-day diplomacy yet. But Filipinos and Chinese had already established friendly links through Sultan Padaka Pahara of Sulu and Yongle Emperor, ruler of imperial China under the Ming Dynasty.
And "over 600 years later, the spirit of Sultan of Sulu’s historic journey lives in our heart," Philippine Ambassador to Manila Jaime FlorCruz wrote on a poster that is now hanging inside a museum in Dezhou in China's Shandong province.
Who is Sultan Pahara?
One of the three sultans of Sulu, Pahara was the East King of Sulu who travelled to China in the 14th century upon the invitation of the Yongle Emperor.
Pahara braved the rough seas from Sulu to Beijing, bringing with him his wives and an entourage of some 340 people to China as well as tributes, including pearls, hawksbills, and precious stones.
Upon arrival in China, Pahara was given a grand reception at the Forbidden City—a typical warm reception that the Chinese government would give to world leaders in an act that lingers even up to this day.
Pahara and Yongle then climbed the Great Wall—the symbol of Chinese civilization enduring strength and security against intruders—to announce that both sides would have the deepest and the most sincere relationship for ages that would be passed on for generations. In modern-day diplomacy, that could be treated as a joint communique.
Why it was significant up to this day is because it is recorded as the official interaction between the two countries even if the Philippines is still not a country at that time," said Raul Lambino, chairman of the Association for Philippines-China Understanding (APCU).
"We have a very deep cultural and people-to-people exchange already happening by that time," he added.
Pahara was already on his way back home days later when he caught an unknown disease and died.
Yongle had so much respect for him that he ordered a royal burial for him. A tomb was also built in his honor and it still stands up to this day in Dezhou.
Pahara's eldest son went back to the country to assume the throne after he died, while his wife as well as second and third sons stayed in China.
Recently, a delegation of Filipino and Filipino-Chinese businessmen, including Lambino, embarked on a trip to Shandong province, which included a visit to Pahara's tomb.
Its complex was so huge that it housed many of Pahara's descendants, whose family names are Wen and An.
His descendants, reported to be around 3,700, were engaged in cattle and sheep slaughtering industry.
The complex is well-preserved—the greenery surrounding Pahara's tomb is well-manicured, the museum is guarded and clean, and his original tomb is kept.
"What happened between Emperor Yongle and Sultan Pahara is considered a significant historical event.
"Here in China, it's really a big deal for them. They want to emphasize that Chinese people have huge respect for Filipinos," Lambino said.
Philippines-China relations
Chinese people treat Filipinos like brothers—a kind of relation that the Chinese government has long described about the two countries. Pahara's story is one example, and it dates back even before the establishment of formal diplomatic relations between the two countries in 1975.
"It's because of the Confucian teaching that we should treat all people as brothers and sisters," Wilson Lee Flores, information officer of the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FFCCCII).
The Chinese treat Filipinos as brothers and with respect because they are neighbors, according to Flores.
"It's also based on our long history—on 1,000 years of uninterrupted trade. Uninterrupted means our trade with them has been non-stop, except those years that there were world wars as well as the recent misunderstanding," Flores added.
But overall, he said, there is no direct conflict between the Philippines and China, he said.
Two years ago, in January 2023, President Marcos made a state visit to China and met President Xi Jinping. Marcos was received by Xi as warmly as how Pahara was received by Yongle.
Their message was the same message that Pahara and Yongle made 610 years ago: maintain the good relations between the two countries.
And indeed, it could still happen, despite the current issues in the West Philippine Sea that concerns both countries, Lambino said.
"It is only one of the thorny issues of our relations but it is very small that should not affect the larger picture of things," Lambino said.
"Because our relationship with China is multi-faceted, and it had been established for centuries, if not millennium," he added.