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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Filipinos who made it in China get spotlight as PH-China ties mark 50 years

Filipinos who made it in China get spotlight as PH-China ties mark 50 years

Published Jun 8, 2025 03:17 pm
More than 50 Filipinos living and working in China were featured in the #MadeItInChina online series spearheaded by the Philippine Embassy in Beijing in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Philippines-China diplomatic relations.

Book featuring Filipinos who made it in China (Photo courtesy of Philippine Embassy in Beijing)


A statement from the embassy said that the online series intended to highlight the work done by Filipinos based in China, as well as their contributions to their respective communities and professions.

“We always talk about ‘people-to-people exchanges.’ But how does it really work? What good does it bring? And who are the ‘people’? In the series #MadeItInChina, we go from abstract to concrete. We highlight these people’s profiles and their amazing stories,” Philippine Ambassador to China Jaime FlorCruz said.

The series, which featured more than 50 overseas-based Filipinos, ran from January to June 2025.

To find “these remarkable individuals,” the embassy worked together with the Philippine Consulates General in Chongqing, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Macau, Shanghai, and Xiamen.

The stories of their individual journeys were compiled in a book that’s set to be launched at the Philippine Embassy’s Diplomatic Reception in Beijing on June 11.

They are also scheduled to be recognized during the individual receptions organized by the seven Philippine Foreign Service Posts in China.

Some of the most notable individuals there are Roman and Mildred Go, the founders of the very first international school in Xiamen; Dr. Karen Tagulao, a marine biologist championing mangrove conservation; Rod Camposagrado, a hotel executive since the 1990s; Eric Baculinao, Emmy-award winning Beijing bureau chief of ABC News; Kevin Chua, - a senior economist at the World Bank office in Beijing; Kahlil Kui, a geophysics and mountain hazards specialist in Chengdu; Belle de Borja, a teacher to Tibetan minority children in Gansu; Carlos Chan, chairman of Oishi company and one of the very first foreign investors in Shanghai; and Melissa Gecolea, a Hong Kong-based news anchor.

FlorCruz described them as “ordinary people doing extraordinary deeds.”

“They show that China is a place where Filipinos can find their chosen careers, thrive, and succeed. As they succeed, they also contribute to their respective fields and communities. And, while doing so, they build connections of friendship and mutual understanding between our two peoples,” the ambassador added.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the two countries’ ties, but this comes against a backdrop of hostilities as Beijing continues its aggressive claims of the resource-rich South China Sea.

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China Jaime FlorCruz Philippine Embassy in Beijing 50th anniversary diplomatic ties
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