THE VIEW FROM RIZAL
Early this week, I overheard conversations by my staff members and even among friends and colleagues. Their conversations centered on what they planned to do to celebrate the occasion we are marking today, the Lunar – or Chinese – New Year.
It appears most of them will head to Chinatown today – especially the younger ones (Millennial, Gen Ys). I suspect that today, they will be loading up on Instagram and YouTube Vlog materials. I further suspect – and many of them have confirmed my suspicion – that the subject matter would be food: insanely delicious Chinese food Binondo style.
I heard names of the places they intend to raid today – names like Wai Ying, Mazuki, Ying
Ying, and Café Mezzanine. They rattled off the food they planned to savor while watching dragon dances and firecrackers being lit – delicacies like fried siopao, kikiam, xiao long bao, hakaw, and the thirst-quenching, energizing sugar cane juice.
I could only marvel at the excitement they displayed as they imagined the delight that the Chinese delicacies and the events of the day promise.
I could only remark, “It looks like the Chinese in you is coming out this week.”
So, as we join the rest of the nation in marking this holiday, we would like to honor the Chinese in us. And, when we talk about how Chinese most of us actually are – whether by virtue of our bloodline or our culinary preferences – the name of our national hero would always come to mind: Dr. Jose Rizal.
We remember that several years ago, we heard a professor from Antipolo make this remark: “Dr. Jose Rizal was as much a Chinese as he was a Filipino.”
My professor-friend was referring to the work of esteemed Filipino historical researcher, Dr. Eusebio Koh.
He shared with me an interesting aspect of Dr. Koh’s research. According to this revered scholar, the work of many other historians tends to show that Dr. Jose Rizal may have been 80 percent Chinese despite the recognition and reference given him as “The Great Malayan.”
“The historical research showed that Dr. Rizal’s grandparents on his father’s side were both Chinese from the Chinchew province of Mainland China who settled in Biñan, Laguna,” the professor pointed out.
While the Chinese lineage of Dr. Rizal’s mother is harder to trace, Dr. Koh mentioned that Doña Teodora Alonzo’s father “looked very much like a Chinese.”
The Spanish-sounding royal family names Dr. Rizal had, the professor explained, were adopted names. The change of names from Chinese to Spanish was a necessity because the Chinese were looked down upon by society at that time.
Come to think of it, some of the Filipino’s most-loved Chinese food sported Spanish names. For example: “Morisqueta Tostada” is actually Yangchow fried rice; “Camaron Rebosado” and “Camaron Rellenado” are merely versions of shrimp-based Chinese culinary delights that come with the very Chinese sweet-and-sour sauce.
Let us admit it: there are as many liters of Chinese blood in our veins as there are of other races. So, just for this time of the year, let that fact be something that we accept and honor.
After all, our Chinese-Filipino ancestors also played a crucial role in our history and evolution into a nation. Top honors, of course, belong to the very Chinese Dr. Jose Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonzo Realonda — the grandson of the pure Chinese immigrant Lam Co.
Other revered names in that list include the following: Roman Ongpin, who sacrificed safety and property for the Revolution; General Vicente Lim, World War II hero; Wenceslao Vinzons, patriotic youth leader; and, General Jose Paua, hero of the Revolution and of the Filipino-American war.
We must not forget the first Filipino nationalist-feminists: the revered Women of Malolos made famous by Dr. Rizal’s letter. Many of them had Chinese mestizo family names despite their Bulacan roots. Among these women patriots of Malolos were those from families with surnames like Tanchangco, Uitangco, Tantoco, and Tiongson.
The fact is, the Chinese in us and the Chinese among us have long been here and have been an essential part of the building of our economy and the creation of our identity as a nation.
I do not know how much Chinese blood I have with me. Maybe, not much, since I do not have an urge to rush to Chinatown in Binondo to join the merriment. What I have is an urge to treat myself to a big bowl of hot chicken mami and to feast on a special siopao – the one that has salted duck egg inside it.
Well, whatever food you might be craving for today, let me say happy Chinese New Year, everyone!
(The author is the mayor of Antipolo City, former Rizal governor, DENR assistantsecretary and LLDA general manager. Email: antipolocitygov@gmail.com)