MikeLigalig.com

the 'chics' from 'chic'ago.

...and my current 'home' city.

The heart of the American Midwest.

Dragon Boat Festival

A country/ farm home in rural Guangdong.

Construction workers taking a break and checking out a cell phone. Guangdong Province, China.

Rural Life in Guangdong Province, China. Not much has changed for thousands of years.

Buddhist Monks.

Located in Hong Fa, Shenzhen City

Mahayana Buddhist Temple in Hong Fa District, Shenzhen City.




This temple is over a thousand years old.

Bao' An Temple, Shenzhen

Shenzhen's Powerful Exporting Ports. Ready for Global Consumption.

The City of Shenzhen is another major city located in the Province of Guangdong, China.

Located near the Canton Belt of China.

Wow! Ni Hao Ma!

Ing ana man sigoro na, bay Chris, kai nag modernize pa man ang China dili man sila homan sa ilang industrialization. Sobra bitaw ka urbanized ang situwasyon sa Guangzhou kai mao god na ang heart of Canton.

Ang probinsya sa Guangdong (Kwangtong) ra, ilang populasyon kai dako pa sa Pilipinas. 98 Million ang population sa Probinsya sa Guangdong. Ang populasyon sa tibuok Pilipinas ay~ 92 million.

Kuyaw kaayo..

the meaning of "salamat jalan" is "Thanks have a good journey" or literally, "Thank you, have a good life journey...."

SELAMAT JALAN

SAPUTANGAN

by: Uthen Prommin(เท่ห์ อุเทน พรหมมินทร์)

Uthen Prommin(เท่ห์ อุเทน พรหมมินทร์) - Kay Ray Winyan

Quote from: beyotch on June 30, 2011, 11:29:55 PM
ASK OURSELVES IF NAA NA BAY KAUSABAN NGA NAHITABO SA ATOANG SISTEMA SA PAGDUMALA SA ATOANG LUNGSOD?...still lots of people ang nagpahilum hilom ug nagpaka butag bungol..well it's up to you then, if you wanted your coming children to follow the trend we where living now...if not...do some actions even in small one....kita ra gyud sa atoang kaugalingon ang makatubag aning pangutanaha...but be sure to tell the truth...

maayo pa ang wine makapatug-an sa kamatuuran,,,,"in vino veritas"..."in wine there is truth"...

peace on earth....

beyotch opined, "in vino veritas"

My response to that is: "ne quid nimis"

the empty table


by: Lorenzo Lucino


Two empty chairs sitting side by side
one empty table presiding over
the sounds of country blues permeating the room
i'm waiting for one's arrival

my cold chai latte is half full
yours is ready.

Random compilations of poems I've written or will write will be posted here.

Nong,

I am very touched by your plea and by the real situation that is going on in Valencia. I was , indeed, very shocked to hear from neighbors and old time family friends about the water system situation. I have a family friend, a very good family friend, who ran for the office of mayor several years ago and was defeated. But because of his known opposition to the administration in office, was denied water to his new home. To this day, he still has to buy water to be imported to his house.

Thanks for your point, Nong. Mo ampo sad ta so maka tabang pood ta pohon sa atong mga tagalungsod.

Thank You and God Bless You.

Bugsay, you have a big point about the issues affecting the health of the residents of our town. When I was in Valencia last year, during my drive around our town, it was made known to me from other residents of the town and a former mayor that there were some issues that need to be resolved. The piggery owned by some influential people in our town have to be addressed, I think, as it is a health concern--especially the waste and the runoff of said waste. Second is the water situation in Valencia. It was made known to me by a family friend that because he ran for the office of mayor several years ago, now his water supply has been cut. It is so bad that he buys tap water for water supply. Ka grabe pood.

I hope that the current Mayor Gan will not be biased against all constituents of the town. Let's hope for the best for our town.




Mayor Gan, please address these issues.


A concerned citizen.

A Eunuch Complains of His Fate

by: Confucius


A few fine lines, at random drawn,
Like the shell-pattern wrought in lawn
To hasty glance will seem.
My trivial faults base slander's slime
Distorted into foulest crime,
And men me worthless deem.

A few small points, pricked down on wood,
May be made out a picture good
Of the bright Southern Sieve.
Who planned, and helped those slanderers vile,
My name with base lies to defile?
Unpitied, here I grieve.

With babbling tongues you go about,
And only scheme how to make out
The lies you scatter round.
Hear me--Be careful what you say;
People ere long your words will weigh,
And liars you'll be found.

Clever you are with changeful schemes!
How else could all your evil dreams
And slanders work their way?
Men now believe you; by and by,
The truth found out, each vicious lie
Will ill for ill repay.

The proud rejoice; the sufferer weeps.
O azure Heaven, from out thy deeps
Why look in silence down?
Behold those proud men and rebuke;
With pity on the sufferers look,
And on the evil frown.

Those slanderers I would gladly take,
With all who help their schemes to make,
And to the tigers throw.
If wolves and tigers such should spare,
Td hurl them 'midst the freezing air,
Where the keen north winds blow.
And should the North compassion feel
I'd fling them to great Heaven, to deal
On them its direst woe.

As on the sacred heights you dwell,
My place is in the willow dell,
One is the other near.
Before you, officers, I spread
These lines by me, poor eunuch, made.
Think not Mang-tsze severe.

It is known that Boholano Kalamay is the best in the Philippines. And the best Kalamay in Bohol is from Jagna. O man. Delicious. Lami i paris sa coca cola og fresh pandesal.

This was always prepared when I was in Bohol at my family home in Tagbilaran. Everyday, I would go to Manga Fish Market and buy these (Lato) so it can be prepared for dinner. I can't find Lato here in the United States.

Adobong Nokos or in Iloilo it is called 'Adobong Lokos'. When I was there I spoke to the restaurateur in Cebuano. When I saw this, I said to him in a rather retained Bol-anon Accent, "Gusto ko ana! kadtong adobong nokos ayaw kalimti ang kanonon ha? Sige, salamat."

The old man smiled and said, "Ay han! Cebuano gid!"

I smiled back, "Dili Cebuano, manong! BOL-ANON JYUD"



Katawa mi duha.

One dish that I really miss eating was when I was in Iloilo City. It is called 'Laswa'.

Luoy pood ang tawo na gi affected sa floods. My prayers with you all.

Quote from: thatsmyboy1992 on June 29, 2011, 04:35:58 AM
sa Initao, Misamis Oriental na brod pero kani na pics sa ubos, sa among farm ni sa Ilihan,Ubay. nagpatanun na ko didto ug sugod ug dwarf coconut trees para bugnaw duol sa vacation and farm house namo

hahaha. bandanero style. its good that you're also very familiar with farming and into it, brod Mike.  What kinds of crops do you grow in your farm in Ubay?

This should be a new focus for the current and future administrations in Valencia--the creation of a municipal-wide sewage system that can benefit the majority of the local residents in our town.

Mayor Gan. Please hear this. Daghang Salamat!

Quote from: Palu-palo on June 28, 2011, 03:57:39 PM
Sorry for this delayed reaction. i was out of circulation for more than two months, or so.

sir jun, ang angay itubag sa imong estudyante: 'BALE!' dili angay tabangan ang mga tawo nga dili gani motabang sa ilang kaugalingong kumunidad!

doc bran-bran, unfortunately, wala'y sewage system ang lungsod sa valencia, just like most of the towns in bohol. kon duna man gani drainage or sewage provision ang inyong balay didto sa Sawang, tingali padulong sa inyong kaugalingong septic tank. or padulong sa canal that passes infront of the house and run along the national highway. unya ang tubig sa canal ambak ra sad didto sa creek/river, dayon ang tubig sa creek/river padulong sa dagat. unya maligo dayon ang taga-valencia sa dagat.

yes, sir junjun, there was an ocular inspection on the adlawan poultry by two personnel from the DENR Regional office last year. and true to our guess, nothing happens. those two DENR Regional inspectors will never allow their faces to be seen in Valencia, kay nakabalo sila nga insakto ang tagna sa taga valencia , ug sayop ang ilang saad.

nong palu_palo,

naka kita ka ni Don Jan Palaca? Ning balik baja si Tito Jan sa Pilipinas kai ning bisita sija sa among balay.

Regards nong! Hope your break was great.


Usang anak sa atong pinanggang yuta na tawhan,

Its good to see improvement. Let's hope for more improvement in the coming year.

Galatians:6:

7Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. "Be not deceived..." Now the very fact it says that indicates that we can be deceived on this particular issue if we're not careful. We have to understand something about this thing of sowing and reaping as it applies to us as human beings. "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man ( as well as a woman) sows...," meaning as they live their lives, minute to minute, hour to hour, day by day, year by year, and it goes on. It says, whatever an individual sows, "...that will they also reap."

So there's something going to be coming back to us as a result of our actions and what we're doing on a day-to-day basis. Now that has something very, very serious in terms of its overtone because it's not just a cute saying. And it's not just a, what we would say, worthwhile principle to consider. It is actually portrayed in the same context like the law of gravity that God has created.

So you mean to tell me that Boknoy is also a connoisseur of authentic Filipino food diay. ka cute! angay diay si boknoy sa nangka eh?

My 7 month old Shepherd, Maxine, also loves to eat whatever daddy eats. Og mo kaon ko'g French bread, mo linkod sija sa ahong tuhod kai gusto pood mo kaon. Her favorite is pita chips. Whenever she hears a bag of pita chips opened, mo dagan sija nako. lol.

maxineinhouse

Quote from: cujo on June 26, 2011, 10:43:56 PM
I meet Wolfpack823 today.Sad as expected after the death of her husband this week.The funeral services was touching and beautiful...

Please extend my heartfelt condolences to Krystal. May God strengthen her during this difficult time...

Quote from: Lollapalooza on June 27, 2011, 11:42:03 AM
Hi Bran..My dog "boknoy" sometimes i call him baby polar bear.. he loves sleeping inside a box before pero karon dili na kay dili na man siya masigo sa box.. hasta na man pod nyang tamboka..

Jenneth,

Cute kaayo si Boknoy. How old is Boknoy na diay?  Tambokikoy diay si boknoy...

Sexual activity is beneficial in a span of bodily systems. It is effective for immune health, as well as the cardiovascular health. Of course, one should remember to take part in safe sex to minimize the probability of acquiring and/or spreading sexually transmitted diseases.

Have fun, but do take responsible care!

Quote from: Lorenzo on June 25, 2011, 11:21:21 PM
This is what the LORD says: "Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD.

-Jeremiah 17:5

This holds truth. Man is weak, I am weak, you are weak, we all are weak by ourselves. Our lives are as small as the sands. The Power of God was the one that opened the red sea for the hebrews, raised the dead by the power of Jesus Christ. Defeated the armies of the israelites against the Assyrians, the Philistines, Canaanites and more.

Despite our positions in this earthly life, despite our 'limited' strengths, we should not rely on our strengths alone, but in the Power of God , who can literally move mountains in our lives.

Prayer:

Lord, i am foolish for thinking that i could have done everything by myself. Foolish to think that my strengths were alone enough to surmount in this life. Because i know that when difficulties arise, when temptations come, my human strength and will will falter. Empower me now, to be able to defeat the enemies in my life, the seeds of discord in my life. I trust in You. You to rescue me. You to empower me. You  to forgive me. You and You alone.

Amen.

This is what the LORD says: "Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD.

-Jeremiah 17:5

I love it, "boholhay"

Salamat kaayo for sharing these pictures, Fr. Roel. And Salamat nong BQN for requesting it!

Tinuod diay ang saying, "ask and you shall receive..."

Yesterday night as I was coming home from work at the hospital (i arrived home quite late at around 12 am), as I was walking home I saw a local pentecostal church open with an evening prayer session. I looked at my watch and saw that it was about 12:11 am , and was amazed that this little pentecostal church was open that late at night. I was compelled by the Holy Spirit to visit the place, and so I knocked on door of the little church (which is actually located on the 1st floor of a business plaza building). The door was opened unto me by an young African-American male, probably at the age of 20 or 21. A young fellow. To my absolute realization, the whole church congregation, no more than 12 of them inside that night's prayer session. All of them were African-American as well as African immigrants. There were little children in the church as well, and the vibrant feeling of the whole congregation really touched me, again, it was the Holy Spirit that called me to the place that night since I was feeling quite down this week. With the stresses of work, studies, and then the combined effects of also being away from my family. I have not been to Catholic Mass in a while.

I stayed there. Till 1:30. The preacher welcomed me and really really made me smile. During his preaching, he stopped and looked at me and said, "Thanks for coming home to us, brother, thank you for coming." He then came to me and embraced me. Afterwards, a woman gave me a bible and addressed the passage that the preacher was reading in his sermon. I was very touched.

The verse that the pastor reiterated was from II Chronicles. It was addressing the importance of letting God fight our battles for us. The importance in believing that doors will be opened for us. Doors in the north, the south, the east, the west, the doors in this country, the doors in our lives that have been shut. That we have to believe that God will open it for us..that we should ask it in the Name of Jesus Christ. And it will be opened. That God will increase us, despite what we have and are positioned in right now.

May we always approach the Lord Jesus Christ will the hope of His intervention in our lives. That He will fight our battles for us. That He will rescue us.

Amen.

Amen!

"For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."

Colossians 1:13-14

5 So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church. 6 Now when Herod was about to bring him out, on that very night, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison.

7 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood next to him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his hands. 8 And the angel said to him, “Dress yourself and put on your sandals.” And he did so. And he said to him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.” 9 And he went out and followed him. He did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. 10 When they had passed the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate leading into the city. It opened for them of its own accord, and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel left him. 11 When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.”

   -ACTS 12: 5-11

By comparison, tradition has Peter being crucified upside-down. Paul's Roman citizenship accorded him the more merciful death by beheading.

Jesus Rescues Peter...




28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

   29 “Come,” he said.

   Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”


-Matthew 14: 28-32

25 Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.

27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

   -Matthew 14:25-27

Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.

  -Romans 5:1-2

America is known to provide Philippines with 'affordable' aka (very old technology). Will we finally be able to afford missile systems now? But i wonder how old the missile systems the United States Defense Industry will sell Philippines. These systems cost in the hundreds of millions of dollars. And Manila's budget is very limited.

Philippines will buy systems that are on clearance sale.

Quote from: Mike Ortega Ligalig on June 25, 2011, 05:39:16 AM
kay sa amon gid ang kwarta ginapiko, ginapala.

Hu-o bala, bards!

Stunning music!

烟雨江南 The Misty Rain of Jiangnan in China

a different version of the same song.


Chinese Music_æ¸"舟å"±æ™š by 童丽 (Fisherman's Song At Dusk) with lyrics

a hardworking zhong guo ren coming back to port after a long day's fishing.

an old Chinese fisherman from Hainan, China

Famous Chinese Classical Music Return of the Fishing Boat

Oliver Shanti - Spring In Lhasa

Uygur Ethnic Woman from Xinjiang Province. China's population is as diverse as it's territory is vast.

Sunset in the Taklamakan Desert, Xinjiang Province, CHINA

Muztagh Mountains, Xinjiang

Kung Fu Tzu, the age-old wise Chinese sage.

Trysting Times
by: Confucius




    I

A PRETTY girl at time o' gloaming
Hath whispered me to go and meet her
    Without the city gate.

I love her, but she tarries coming.
Shall I return, or stay and greet her?
    I burn, and wait.

    II

Truly she charmeth all behooders,
'Tis she hath given me this jewel,
    The jade of my delight;

But this red jewel-jade that smoulders,
To my desire doth add more fuel,
    New charms to-night.

    III

She has gathered with her lily fingers
    A lily fiar and rare to see.

Oh! sweeter still the fragrance lingers
    From the warm hand that gave it me.

Sadness
by: Confucius


THE sun is ever full and bright,
The pale moon waneth night by night.
    Why should this be?

My heart that once was full of light
Is but a dying moon to-night.

But when I dream of thee apart,
I would the dawn might lift my heart,
    O sun, to thee.

This thread will expose the famous poems written by the age-old Chinese sage, Kung Fu Tzu.

Design


The essential elements in a garden are a wall surrounding a hall, a pool, and a mountain with a tree. Later these were expanded to seventeen essential elements: 1) proximity to the home; 2) small; 3) walled; 4) small individual sections; 5) asymmetrical; 6) various types of spatial connections; 7) architecture; 8 ) rocks; 9) water; 10) trees; 11) plants; 12) sculpture; 13) jie jing (borrowed scenery); 14) chimes; 15) incense burners; 16) inscriptions; 17) use of feng shui for choosing site. The variety of sensory features enhance a garden's appeal. Windows frame garden views. Trees and flowers provide aroma. Even the intricate designs of pavement and gravel offer tactile enjoyment. Suzhou, in eastern China is widely known for its numerous classical private scholar gardens.


The aesthetics of the garden are judged by its conception, approach, layout, scenes, and borrowing. The conception is the measure of how well the garden reflects a painting or poem. The approach describes how the garden may express the idea of nature beyond the theme. The layout is the use of multiple layers of scenery to create a sense of the infinite in the finite. the scene is how well paired two opposite scene are and how they create harmony. finally the borrowing or borrowed view is how artfully distant views are incorporated into the whole.

The Chinese Classical Garden (中国古å...¸å›­æž—; zhōng guó gÇ" diÇŽn yuán lín), also called Chinese Scholar's Garden, is a place for solitary or social contemplation of nature.

Chinese gardens were created in the same way as a combination of landscape and paintings together with poems - this was the so-called "poetic garden." The design of Chinese gardens was to provide a spiritual utopia for one to connect with nature, to come back to one's inner heart, to come back to ancient idealism. Chinese gardens are a spiritual shelter for people, a place they could be far away from their real social lives, and close to the ancient way of life, their true selves, and nature. This was an escape from the frustration and disappointment of the political problems in China. They used plants as symbols. Bamboo was used in every traditional Chinese garden. This is because bamboo represents a strong but resilient character. Often pine is used to represent longevity, persistence, tenacity and dignity. The lotus is used to symbolize purity. The flowering plum is one of the most important aspects of a Chinese garden, as it represents renewal and strength of will. Flowering peaches are grown for spring color, and sweet olive as well. The chrysanthemum is used to symbolize splendor, luster and "the courage to make sacrifices for a natural life". Peonies symbolize wealth and banana trees are used simply for the sound they make in the breeze.



source: wikipedia.com

I was shocked to see this video, Manay Tess sent me a link via email. I watched the whole video. Jeez. Talk about dental power? lol.

The German reaction was priceless.

It does sound hard to believe. What touches me is the intrapsychic tension the young man, Christian, must have felt all throughout his early adolescent life. Questions permeating in his mind : "who are my parents?", "where are they now?", "do i have any other siblings?", "do they even remember me?", "why was i given away?".

I commend the young man for his dedication to finding out who he is, where he came from, and who his biological parents are. What a man!

Quote from: Mike Ortega Ligalig on June 11, 2011, 04:32:51 PM
Little Bets: Think Differently by Peter Sims

“Our education system places great emphasis on teaching us about facts that are already known, such as historical information or scientific tables, and then testing us in order to measure how much we’ve retained about that body of knowledge. Those skills work perfectly well for many situations, but not when doing something new. Or creative. Or original. They certainly won’t help us invent the future.

As education and creativity researcher and author Sir Ken Robinson puts it, ‘We are educating people out of their creativity.’ But it’s still there. And unleashing our creativity, however deeply it’s hidden, begins with little bets.”

This is why I support students to pursue their dreams and what they have natural interests in.

St. Lorenzo Ruiz, the first Filipino Saint in the Holy Roman Catholic Church, was a Chinese-Filipino. His surname was 'Li'.

General Manuel Tinio, a General of the Philippine Revolutionary Army and an active member of the KKK during the Philippine Revolution against Spain. General Tinio was a Chinese-Filipino. He was then elected as Governor of Nueva Ecija in 1907.

Dr. Jose Potracio Rizal y Alonso , the national hero of the Republic of the Philippines, was 1/2 Chinese.
While Jose Rizal's mother was a Spanish-mestiza, his father was 100% pure Chinese.
Dr. Rizal was more Chinese than he was Malay Filipino.

CHINESE SURNAMES



Most Chinese Filipinos today have single syllable Chinese surnames, the most common of which are Tan (陳), Poa/Pua (潘), Ong (王), Lim (æž—), Go/Ngo (吳), Ng/Uy/Wong (黃), Gao/Kao (高), Chua/Cua (è"¡), Sy/See/Si (æ–½), Co (許) and Lee/Dy (李).


Chinese Filipinos as well as Chinese mestizos who trace their roots back to Chinese immigrants to the Philippines during the Spanish Colonial Period usually have multiple syllable Chinese surnames such as Chuacuco, Chuatoco, Cojuangco, Dyloco, Dytoc, Dy-Cok, Gueco, Gokongwei, Limcuando, Ongpin, Quebengco, Sycip, Tambengco, Tambunting, Tanbonliong, Tantoco, Yuchengco, Tanciangco, and Yupangco, among such others. These were originally full Chinese names which were transliterated into Spanish and adopted as surnames. There are also multiple syllable Chinese surnames that are Spanish translations of hokkien words. Surnames like Tuazon (Eldest Grandson), Dizon (Second Grandson), Samson (Third Grandson), Singson (Fourth Grandson), Gozon (Fifth Grandson), Lacson (Sixth Grandson) are examples of Hokkien words with Spanish translations used as surnames for some Chinese Filipinos who trace their ancestry from Chinese immigrants to the Philippines during the Spanish Colonial Period also.

In contrast, more recent immigrants have single syllable Chinese surnames. Many Chinese mestizos (as well as Spanish-Chinese and Tornatras) have also either inherited or took on Spanish or indigenous surnames, such as Martines, Madrigal, Santos, or Zarate. A lot of Chinese Filipinos also took on Filipino surnames the moment they were naturalized. Today, it is difficult to identify who are Chinese Filipinos based on surnames alone.

To determine who Chinese Filipinos are, one should know their background and family history and culture.

LIFESTYLE


The Chinese in the Philippines are mostly business owners and their life centers mostly in the family business. These mostly small or medium enterprises play a significant role in the Philippine economy. A handful of these entrepreneurs run large companies and are respected as some of the most prominent business tycoons in the Philippines. Chinese Filipinos attribute their success in business to frugality and hard work, Confucian values and their traditional Chinese customs and traditions. They are very business-minded and entrepreneurship is highly valued and encouraged among the young.

Most Chinese Filipinos are urban dwellers. An estimated 50% of the Chinese Filipinos live within Metro Manila, with the rest in the other major cities of the Philippines. They are practically everywhere. In contrast with the Chinese mestizos, few Chinese are plantation owners. This is partly due to the fact that until recently when the Chinese Filipinos became Filipino citizens, the law prohibited the Chinese from owning land.

As with other Southeast Asian nations, the Chinese community in the Philippines has become a repository of traditional Chinese culture. Whereas in mainland China many cultural traditions and customs were suppressed during the Cultural Revolution or simply regarded as old-fashioned nowadays, these traditions have remained largely untouched in the Philippines. Many new cultural twists have evolved within the Chinese community in the Philippines, distinguishing it from other overseas Chinese communities in Southeast Asia. These cultural variations are highly evident during festivals such as Chinese New Year and Mid-Autumn Festival. The Chinese Filipinos have developed unique funerary and wedding customs as well.

While the older generation practiced the ancient customs of imperial and feudal China, the younger generation have adapted to more modern lifestyles. Traditional customs such as ancestor worship are still practiced today through family shrines and clans associations, as well as placing Catholic imagery alongside Taoists idols such as the Santo Nino or the Crucifix placing beside the Buddha or any other Chinese Traditional Religious figure.

Language



Most of the Chinese in the Philippines trace their ancestry to the southern part of Fujian province in China, also known as the Min-nan region. The Lan-nang (traditional Chinese: å'±å,,,話; Pe̍h-ōe-jÄ«: Lán-lâng-oÄ"; literally "our people's language") variant of Hokkien is the lingua franca of the Chinese Filipino community. The rest are descendants of migrants from Guangdong, Hong Kong, or Taiwan. The other Chinese dialects that can be heard in the Chinese-Filipino communities are Mandarin Chinese (which is taught in Chinese schools in the Philippines and spoken in varying degrees of fluency by Chinese Filipinos), Taiwanese (which is mutually intelligible with the Quanzhou and Xiamen dialects), and Cantonese. The vast majority of the Chinese in the Philippines are also fluent in English as well as Tagalog, and for those residing outside of Metro Manila, the local language of the region, like Ilokano, Hiligaynon, Cebuano (Cebu, Davao, and Iligan), and Chabacano (Zamboanga), Waray-Waray (Calbayog and Tacloban).

Chinese Mestizo



Chinese mestizos are persons of mixed Chinese and either indigenous Malay or Spanish (or both) ancestry. They make up 20% of the country's total population (those who are pure blooded or at least 50% Chinese make up at least 2% of the population). A number of Chinese mestizos have surnames that reflect their heritage, mostly two or three syllables that have Chinese roots (e.g., the full name of a Chinese ancestor) with a Hispanized phonetic spelling. The Chinese mestizos may also be known as Tsinoys (alternatively spelled as "Chinoy"), although this term may also refer to the full-blooded Chinese Filipinos; and/or Chinito, a term that largely denotes physical characteristics (referring to slanted eyes) rather than ethnic origin or cultural orientation. During Spanish times, they were legally classified as Mestizo de Sangley which was printed on their cedulas or community tax certificates.

During the Spanish colonial period, the Spanish authorities encouraged the Chinese male immigrants to convert to Catholicism. Those who converted got baptized and their names Hispanized, and were allowed to intermarry with indigenous Malay women. They and their mestizo offspring became colonial subjects of the Spanish crown, and as such were granted several privileges and afforded numerous opportunities denied to the unconverted Chinese. Starting as traders, they branched out into land leasing, money lending and later landholding.

Chinese mestizo men and women were encouraged to marry Spanish and Malay women and men, by means of dowries, in a policy to mix the races of the Philippines so it would be impossible to expel the Spanish.

The Chinese Filipinos has always been one of the largest ethnic Filipino groups in the country with Chinese immigrants comprising the largest group of immigrant settlers in the Philippines. They are one of the three major ethnic groupings in the Philippines, namely: Christian Filipinos (73% of the population-including indigenous ethnic minorities), Muslim Filipinos (5% of the population) and Chinese Filipinos (22% of the population-including Chinese Mestizos). Today, most Chinese Filipinos are locally born. The rate of intermarriage between Chinese settlers and indigenous Filipinos is among the highest in Southeast Asia, exceeded only by Thailand. However, intermarriages occurred mostly during the Spanish colonial period because Chinese immigrants to the Philippines up to the 19th century were predominantly male. It was only in the 20th century that Chinese women and children came in comparable numbers. Today, Chinese Filipino male and female populations are practically equal in numbers. These Chinese mestizos, products of intermarriages during the Spanish colonial period, then often opted to marry other Chinese or Chinese mestizos (as was the case with the ancestors of national hero Dr. Jose Rizal). Generally, Chinese mestizos is a term referring to people with a partial Chinese ancestry.

By this definition, the ethnically Chinese Filipinos comprise 1.3% (1.1 million) of the population. This figure however does not include the Chinese mestizos who since Spanish times have formed the middle class in Philippine society nor does it include Chinese immigrants from the People's Republic of China since 1949.

Most Chinese in the Philippines belong to either the Fujianese or Cantonese dialect groups of the Han Chinese ethnicity. Most unmixed Chinese in the Philippines come from the province of Fujian in China and are thus called Fujianese, or Hoklo. They speak the Lan-nang (Philippine) variant of the Minnan Chinese dialect, which is further subdivided into several sub-dialects. The most common Minnan (Southern Fujianese) dialect in the Philippines is the Xiamen dialect, which is mutually intelligible with the Quanzhou dialect, another common dialect in the Philippines. The rest of the unmixed Chinese in the Philippines are mostly of Cantonese origin, with large numbers of descendants originally from the Taishan city of Guangdong province in Southern China. They speak the Cantonese dialect group/language, although many are raised to speak only the Minnan dialect. Most are not as economically prosperous as their Fujianese cousins in Philippine society. Some ghettoes of the Cantonese people are found in Santa Mesa, Manila and in Tondo. There are also a minority of Cantonese who have Portuguese ancestry - they are the Macanese from Macau. Other non-resident Chinese in the Philippines, such as expatriates and envoys are of Beijing, Shanghainese, or origin from other Provinces of China.

source: wikipedia.com

Han Cultural Wedding Dress (this style of wedding dress is over 2500 years old; and goes back to the Imperial Han Dynasty)

Qipao-style wedding dress (implemented by the late QING IMPERIAL DYNASTY)

Chinese Wedding Dress (note that this is not Qipao style, but the original HAN style wedding dress)

A Chinese wedding ceremonial procession in Guangdong, CHINA

RED COLOR

The color Red represents an auspicious event in Chinese Culture. It is quite common for Chinese couples who marry via the cultural way to adorn themselves in RED regalia. It has been a custom of Chinese marriages for thousands upon thousands of years....

Characteristic of Chinese calligraphy painting is the aspect of space. It portrays an almost three dimensional vibrance. Simplicity and ethereal flow is evident.