Condo units with a view
Posted 06:20am (Mla time) Mar 12, 2005
By Dianne M. Villafuerte
Inquirer News Service

ONE of the come-ons of apartments, or what is more commonly known to us as condominiums, is the view. Being greeted by a nice view upon waking up each morning and before retiring at night gives us a feeling of well-being and inspiration, creates a sense of peace among neighbors and generates beneficial chi (energy) within the apartment itself.

Feng shui masters and consultants also believe that an expansive view provides the apartment some "space to breathe."

In feng shui theory, a poor view not only prevents sufficient sunlight but also restrains auspicious chi which in turn encourages anxiousness and depression.

Zaihong Shen, feng shui practitioner and writer, gives us several tips on how to tell if that apartment or condominium we are planning to move into has a "bad view.

Too much of good thing

Our elders often tell us that even too much of a good thing is bad-and this is often proven true, even in feng shui. A window that is too expansive and large, can be likened to a front door that is radically large for your home.

This window may be giving you a good, uninterrupted view of the horizon, but it is also letting your apartment's beneficial energy escape from your home. The solution: place a small mirror on the inside of the window to reflect the energy back into your apartment.

Not always good luck

Where it is believed to be good luck to have your home looking out onto a church, temple or anther religious building in many western cultures, it is the other way around in China. Having a church or a temple in view from your apartment engulfs your home with spiritual chi, which in turn constrains other auspicious energy needed for health, luck, romance, children and wealth.

For feng shui practitioners, hanging sheer curtains on the windows overlooking a religious building will prevent the spiritual energy from drowning your apartment while still allowing sunlight into the room.

Several of our condominiums nowadays are in clusters or in close distance to each other. Add to that the office or commercial buildings built nearby.

Counter negative influence

It is most likely that a building or two is blocking natural light and fresh air from our own apartment which in effect hinders the circulation of healthy chi. To counter the negative influence of an opposing and blocking building, sheer curtains should be installed to still allow light to enter the apartment.

Shen also encourages condominium dwellers to have walls and furniture in light, warm colors to create an illusion of a sunlit room and to promote the entry of beneficial chi.

E-mail your comments at fengshui.inquirer@gmail.com.

Thanks for posting this article, Highlander. Feng shui is also becoming huge in the US.

You're welcome! I hope we can get more of these useful tips.

If anybody knows of any Feng Shui expert in Manila, please post their name and contact number/address here. I would like to have my condo units looked at.

By Dianne M. Villafuerte
Inquirer News Service

"Psychiatry's chief contribution to philosophy is the discovery that the toilet is the seat of the soul."--Alexander Chase, (1924-1975) US writer

BUT seat of the soul or not, toilets -- and bathrooms -- are considered by practitioners a feng shui liability. According to Zaihong Shen, author of "Feng Shui, Harmonizing Your Inner and Outer Space," the bathroom contains the most yin energy. This is because the bathroom or toilet has the most number of water sources-the toilet bowl, sink and shower or bathtub. Tile and porcelain, the materials most commonly used in building bathrooms and toilets, likewise give off yin energy.

Maintaining balance

Things or objects that inspire yang energy such as candles, throw rugs and plush towels should be added to the bathroom or toilet. Not only will these give your bathrooms an esthetic feel, but more important, these will maintain balance in the bathroom and toilet.

Merlina Merton, in her book "Feng Shui for Better Living," also suggests placing live plants in the bathroom and making sure that the room is kept clean and dry to play down the yin energy. Homeowners may also place a small dish of salt under the toilet bowl, but make sure that this is flushed away and replaced every week.

Many of us do not know this but each flush of that toilet bowl makes chi go down the drain-literally. This is not to say that we should save flushing and wait until that bowl brims with all those, er, nauseous objects! (Eww!) Feng shui experts advise to always put the toilet lid down before flushing and also every time the toilet is not in use. It is also more preferable to keep the toilet and bathroom door shut.

Unlucky spots

Inauspicious locations for bathrooms and toilets are near the house's front door, the kitchen area and the center of the home. Since toilets and bathrooms host the water element, it is most ideal if these are not situated in the area of the kitchen so to avoid probability of clashing with the fire element. A bathroom or toilet located on the second floor directly above the kitchen is also unfavorable because, according to Stephanie Roberts, author of "Fast Feng Shui," this will also extinguish the fire energy coming from the kitchen.

A toilet or bathroom should not be next to, opposite or above the front door because it will swallow up the entering chi before it can even circulate and flood the home's main entrance with negative energy.

Merton, however, has solutions for bathrooms which open directly to the kitchen or cooking area. One may place a live plant inside the bathroom or toilet or outside the door. Again, always keep the door to the toilet or bathroom closed. For toilets near the main door of the house, the occupants should place a screen between the front door and the toilet door, affix an automatic closer on the toilet door to keep it shut at all times.

For bathrooms or toilets built in the center of the house, homeowners may paint the walls red, decorate the corners of the bathroom with a large crystal, a stone or any object of ceramic material to balance the energy. Installing a full-length mirror on the outside of the door is also advisable for bathrooms and toilets with unfavorable locations in the house.

Unlucky spot or not, this writer thinks that what makes a favorable bathroom or toilet is the state that it is in-clean, hygienic, unstained, immaculate. A toilet may be in the least inauspicious area but if it is neglected and filthy, then the same negative energy will circulate around it and eventually, into the home. As in other rooms of the house, provide your toilets and bathrooms a pleasing and refreshing atmosphere.

dapat mas higher ang elevation ng ground floor kesa kalsada.
dapat ang lot area ay hindi dati sementeryo or killing field.
dapat walang cliff sa likod.
ang ceiling dapat walang kakaibang beams esp sharp objects.
ang altar di dapat sa ilalim ng hagdan.
ang pinto ay di dapat nakatapat sa ibang pinto o bintana.

Posted 02:56am (Mla time) April 16, 2005
By Dianne M. Villafuerte
Inquirer News Service

THE FIRST thing that usually strikes us upon entering an office for the first time is its layout. Normally, desks and workstations are arranged in such a way to maximize the office's space, especially if there is no choice but to squeeze an entire department of nearly 50 people into one floor.

Zaihong Shen, feng shui practitioner and writer, gives us some insights on positive and unlucky office layouts.

A desk that is positioned in such a way that the person occupying that desk has his or her back against the wall is considered favorable. The desk is said to benefit from high exposure to the positive chi (energy) that circulates inside the room. At the same time, the wall serves as protection for the person using the desk.

Feng shui theory regards natural sunlight as bringers of good and helpful chi and because windows let in natural light, it is considered ideal to place a desk facing a window.

Plants
Shen also encourages placing a plant in the southeast corner of one's office. In feng shui theory, plants symbolize growth while the southeast represents wealth so a plant in the southeast portion of your room may help encourage financial growth.

One should of course make sure that the plant is kept healthy and suitable to the office's environment.

Exposed ceiling beams
Shen advises against placing a desk under an exposed ceiling beam. Exposed ceiling beams represent oppressive energy which may inhibit a person and make him or her less productive.

Beams are also believed by feng shui practitioners as obstacles to wealth. This can, however, be remedied by hanging a windchime from the beam in order to draw positive energy.

Desk arrangement
Feng shui consultants discourage arranging desks in such a way that the occupants of these desks have their backs against a window or a mirror.

This is considered unfavorable because it intimidates the persons' feelings of security and disturbs their energies.

Causing pressure
Having a light hanging directly over the head is believed to cause pressure on the person's head and shoulders. (Think of that common action movie scene where the bad guys are endlessly tormenting the good guy in a cold and grey bodega [storeroom], our hero sitting on a stool under a solitary light bulb swaying menacingly over the protagonist's head.)

Shen suggests putting a lamp at least two feet in front of you, on the side of your nondominant hand.

A desk in a conference room or other communal area is also considered inauspicious. A busy and noisy space definitely makes it hard for the employee occupying that desk to concentrate on his or her work.

If there is no other area where the employee can be relocated, the employer should at least be considerate enough to place a screen or a cubicle around the desk to give the poor guy a sense of privacy.

Email comments at fengshui.inquirer@gmail.com .

Supposedly, Manila has one of the largest Chinatowns in the world. I'm suprised we don't have a thread about it already.

Pictures, News, Events, U/C's?

Well, there's Chinatown in Binondo and I guess this is the "official" Chinatown. But I think it's actually rather small. There's also the so-called "dragon" areas of Metro Manila where the bulk of the Tsinoy population lives (so called dragon because on a map, the whole connected area looks like a dragon-- but nobody's shown this to me yet). And this includes parts of Quezon City (along the Banawe area) and San Juan (Greenhills area) and the traditionally Chinese Binondo.

looks like nobody is too interested with any China Town activities. Is this not considered as a historical landmark in Manila area?

they're not only in Manila.. sa Laguna.. ang dami ring chinese.. in our place sa Sta. Cruz.. halos lahat nang stall owners sa palengke.. mga chinese...

Can someone confirm this dragon thing that I'm talking about? Or am I going crazy that I heard people talk about it?

<img src=http://www.tropicalisland.de/MNL_Manila_Chinatown%20and%20Filipino-Chinese%20friendship%20arch_b.jpg>
Chinese-Filipino Friendship Arch

<img src=http://www.tropicalisland.de/MNL_Manila_Chinese_garden_in_Rizal_Park_b.jpg>
Chinese Gardens in Rizal Park

<img src=http://www.aec.msu.edu/agecon/sa/philippines/images/chinatown.jpg> another view of the Arch

I juss thought it wud be cool to post deez pix

Thanks for sharing them dizflip! :okay:

Last Summer, I visited Binondo and decided not to go back since traffic is really congested in that area. I just don't know why.

I think Cebu City is the biggest China Town as the whole City looks like China town...LoL

Nice pics. I went to school near Binondo and the impression I've always had of Binondo (and Ongpin) is that it's really crowded. Whenever we went there, I couldn't wait to go home or be somewhere else less crowded. :lol:

Nice shots @dizflip. Cool and colorful.

Yes, nice pics:) Can someone post pics of Cebu's Chinatown, then...?

yup and some parts of china town binondo is really dirty and stinky

Yes, nice pics:) Can someone post pics of Cebu's Chinatown, then...?

what he means is that cebu as a whole is a chinatown due to the very large chinese population there. and with many japanese and korean tourists, you'd think cebu is somewhere in east asia hehe

Yes, nice pics:) Can someone post pics of Cebu's Chinatown, then...?

We don't have a specific one. Most of the city just has cebuano AND Chinese signs on buisnisses and such.

^^Oh. i misunderstood then.

Chinatown, just went there yesterday at grabe super traffic dahil sa 168 mall lol. One thing that I hate about it is horse poo everywhere. Then, the mainland Chinese (and some tsinoys native to Binondo) people don't know a thing about Hygene.

I remember we had this familiy association gathering thingy a few years back in some dirty Chinese restaurant. This old guy went to walk next to me to smoke and spit on the floor. At that time, I felt like I want to vomit because I was eating. Even in malls, I see people do that. Another thing, they do smell, especially their breath and their teeth are rotting away lol....yeah the downsides of being tsinoy....

Not all tsinoys are like that. The rich ones who grew-up in the Philippines, especially the conyotic chinese guys that you'll see everywhere in Greenbelt, Podium, and Power Plant (and also those chinese guys studying in Ateneo, DLSU, CSB, etc.) are actually really nice. And mind you, they look so good, being gym rats and all. And the milky skin, those piercing eyes, the above average height, whew!!!, what more can you ask for.

Remember the starstruck ultimate survivor Mike Tan? The models Ton Lao and Bryan Tan? You wouldn't say they don't know a thing about hygiene, won't you? There's even more Chinese hotties here than I can think of.

Not all tsinoys are like that. The rich ones who grew-up in the Philippines, especially the conyotic chinese guys that you'll see everywhere in Greenbelt, Podium, and Power Plant (and also those chinese guys studying in Ateneo, DLSU, CSB, etc.) are actually really nice. And mind you, they look so good, being gym rats and all. And the milky skin, those piercing eyes, the above average height, whew!!!, what more can you ask for.

Remember the starstruck ultimate survivor Mike Tan? The models Ton Lao and Bryan Tan? You wouldn't say they don't know a thing about hygiene, won't you? There's even more Chinese hotties here than I can think of.

yeah, I know what you're trying to explain. I'm from one of those areas you mentioned so I've met quite a lot of good looking more westernized tsinoys. I'm talking about those mostly living in Chinatown since the weird things happen there lol :)...

my cousin went to mainland China and he said the some vendors there sell meat on the concrete on the sidestreet, nothing underneath . Next to like an open drain.

<img src=http://cebuonwheels.tripod.com/cow%20images/Daoist_Temple.jpg><br>
I GOT THIS ONE OFF THE INTERNET
is da daoist temple in CEBU. part of chinatown???

my cousin went to mainland China and he said the some vendors there sell meat on the concrete on the sidestreet, nothing underneath . Next to like an open drain.

I heard thats how SARS was created.

Lots of Chinese ppl came to the Cebu area from China to escape the communist revolution, and then from Hong Kong to escape the Chinese handover.

^wow, i know gokongwei but when they hand over it to china, most of their population pretty much stayed there. are you just joking, or pulling those genitalia jokes again.

Nice pics. I went to school near Binondo and the impression I've always had of Binondo (and Ongpin) is that it's really crowded. Whenever we went there, I couldn't wait to go home or be somewhere else less crowded. :lol:

Chinatown, just went there yesterday at grabe super traffic dahil sa 168 mall lol. One thing that I hate about it is horse poo everywhere. Then, the mainland Chinese (and some tsinoys native to Binondo) people don't know a thing about Hygene.

I remember we had this familiy association gathering thingy a few years back in some dirty Chinese restaurant. This old guy went to walk next to me to smoke and spit on the floor. At that time, I felt like I want to vomit because I was eating. Even in malls, I see people do that. Another thing, they do smell, especially their breath and their teeth are rotting away lol....yeah the downsides of being tsinoy....

The two of you modern-day Fil-Chis are similar to modern Chinese Americans here in the US. There is this chasm between the uppity Chinese and those mostly based in Chinatown. A Chinese American friend of mine said that there are certain Chinese languages (mostly spoken as if the speaker is angry or shouting) that indicate that the people speaking those come from the "hinterlands" of mainland China as opposed to the more sophisticated areas or even HongKong or Macau. A lot of FilAm-Chinese here stress that they are Chinoys with pride because they are regarded as classier.

my cousin went to mainland China and he said the some vendors there sell meat on the concrete on the sidestreet, nothing underneath . Next to like an open drain.

My sister, when she went to mainland China when it just opened itself for tourism (I think in the province of Guangzhou) said that she was appalled that a lady just squatted on the street and urinated there. That was in early 1990s.

The two of you modern-day Fil-Chis are similar to modern Chinese Americans here in the US. There is this chasm between the uppity Chinese and those mostly based in Chinatown. A Chinese American friend of mine said that there are certain Chinese languages (mostly spoken as if the speaker is angry or shouting) that indicate that the people speaking those come from the "hinterlands" of mainland China as opposed to the more sophisticated areas or even HongKong or Macau. A lot of FilAm-Chinese here stress that they are Chinoys with pride because they are regarded as classier.

I agree wholeheartedly with that observation :D

I was infact cultureshocked when I went to China last year because I was so used to the Filipino culture. I can't seem to understand their ways even though we are somewhat similiar, in fact I felt more at home when I went to Malaysia lol

I've visited Manila's Chinatown and it's pretty interesting especially the culture. In fact the area was used as a location for filming movies that are suppose to be set in Hong Kong. Films like Hong Kong '97 which starred by Robert Patrick (T-1000, Terminator 2). Anyway, the place has some nice jewellry stores.

The only difference is, most Filipino-Chinese are of Fujian origin or came from the Fujian province. Hardly any Cantonese in The Philippines well except for Cebu.

Oh, that's interesting information. I thought that there were a lot of Cantonese in the Philippines.

^^ I think Wanch is right. Most of the Filipino-Chinese in Manila are of Fujian origin, although I did meet a few cantonese-speaking chinoys when I was in school.

my cousin went to mainland China and he said the some vendors there sell meat on the concrete on the sidestreet, nothing underneath . Next to like an open drain.

It is true all chinatown or chinese cities have these strange funky smell of decaying organic matter in them... i don't know where it comes from, maybe it is because of tea or food they dump in the sewers?? i don't know really... Even when i went to Hong Kong this funky chinatown smell similar to binondo is present...

i wouldn't limit that comment to only chinese cities. actually, every time i walk to the chinatown here in philadelphia, i always get taken back to the pag-asa market in olongapo city because of the smell...

Yeah i said chinatowns... i bet every big city has chinatowns in them and they all have the same funky smell...

Most Cantonese speaking chinese in the Philippines reside in Cebu. In fact some of my friends in HK settled there and had businesses.

^^ agree and mostly hongkong people prefer to visit cebu than manila

yes, they even had those korean store. ichiban someting like that

Aji Ichiban is a Hong Kong based store that sells Japanese products. That have it in Manila but I don't know about Cebu.

Went to Chinatown last Saturday and there were horse poo from calesas scattered all over the roads, plus, ...the smell of the poo. whew.

conyotic :poke: :happy:

Chinatown in Manila is very interesting but it can be a bit dangerous there at night. But the place sort of reminds me of Aberdeen in HK.

Cantonese (HK) :)
http://photos.friendster.com/photos/12/98/10928921/1710227257123l.jpg

Fujianese (MNL) :)
http://photos.friendster.com/photos/22/46/3676422/14639642330690l.jpg

Who are these people?

I've visited Manila's Chinatown and it's pretty interesting especially the culture. In fact the area was used as a location for filming movies that are suppose to be set in Hong Kong. Films like Hong Kong '97 which starred by Robert Patrick (T-1000, Terminator 2). Anyway, the place has some nice jewellry stores.

The only difference is, most Filipino-Chinese are of Fujian origin or came from the Fujian province. Hardly any Cantonese in The Philippines well except for Cebu.

pssst! my relatives might own one of those nice jewelry stores lol :lol:

Anyways, I used to live in there lol. I was so used to Chinatown at that time, the smell, the life, the horse poo and the spit. But eversince I moved to QC, I forgot about that and I feel like an alien from a foreign planet everytime I go there lol.

We don't have a specific one. Most of the city just has cebuano AND Chinese signs on buisnisses and such.

Yeah, even malls and public comfort rooms are going to be installed with Korean and Chinese signs.

Who are these people?

Just showing the difference between a Cantonese and a Fujianese. Most Cantonese are yellowish in color while Fujianese are whiter :)

Sista, Quezon City has a sizable Fil-Chi population. In fact, alot of reknowned Chinese schools are located there such as Grace and Xavier.

Ah xavier is in greenhills , san juan:)

hey that girl in the second picture is cute!

Went to Meisic Mall and 168 Mall today. Whew, grabe, nakakapagod talaga, and I walked all the way from LRT2 Recto Station up to Lee Garden Tower Binondo (just to check it out, but I was not able to take any pic), Meisic Mall and then 168 Mall.

Meisic Mall is still partly empty. Only the ground floor and second floor are occupied. The second floor is even only half-occupied yet by the Ever Supermarket.

Almost all of the stall owners are Chinese, really, I could hear them talking in Chinese (and of course I didn't undestand a single word save for she-she which is Thank You), there was even this stall playing a Chinese version of Madonna's Material Girl song. :D There was this stall which had a really nice, but big, jacket. I asked the owner if she has a smaller size but she told me "500" with the Chinese accent. In short, we won't be able understand each other so I just left for 168 Mall. The Chinese stall-owners there speaks better Filipino because of the heavier crowd there, so they're more exposed to our language.

168 has a food court on the third-level. There's a soon-to-open Jollibee, a medley of affordable Chinese restos, a Thai resto, and more. The place is nice but it is really so crowded.

Ah xavier is in greenhills , san juan:)

hey that girl in the second picture is cute!

oops my bad!

I thought Xavier was in New Manila which is in QC. Anyway, Quezon City has a sizable Fil-Chi population also San Juan. In fact, alot of wealthy Filipino-Chinese live in that area.

There's alot of goodlooking chinays in the Greenhills area I noticed but not too many goodlooking chinoys.

Lol.

I am Fujianese.

Kamuka mo ba si DAo ming tsu

There's alot of goodlooking chinays in the Greenhills area I noticed but not too many goodlooking chinoys.

There are. But prefer the modernist :) I prefer the intellectual and professional chinays.

Sista, Quezon City has a sizable Fil-Chi population. In fact, alot of reknowned Chinese schools are located there such as Grace and Xavier.

Yup I know because I'm one of them hehehhe :cheers:

there's really a huge difference in the way the Fil-Chi in Binondo lives and the Fil-Chi in QC live...and I'm proud to say that my brother studied in Xavier lol :)

I find that those Chinese who live in the QC-SJ area are more Filipinized and westernized. They/we're not the usual Chinese who does arranged marriages and that girls/boys should date only Chinese boys/girls. I remember a few years back me and my siblings were not even allowed to watch Filipino shows and telenovelas lol, but times did change and we're now allowed to do so. We're also less conservative, but darn our school is because we're not allowed to wear open toed shoes in school even if we're going to wear something causal lol

Yup I know because I'm one of them hehehhe :cheers:

there's really a huge difference in the way the Fil-Chi in Binondo lives and the Fil-Chi in QC live...and I'm proud to say that my brother studied in Xavier lol :)

I find that those Chinese who live in the QC-SJ area are more Filipinized and westernized. They/we're not the usual Chinese who does arranged marriages and that girls/boys should date only Chinese boys/girls. I remember a few years back me and my siblings were not even allowed to watch Filipino shows and telenovelas lol, but times did change and we're now allowed to do so. We're also less conservative, but darn our school is because we're not allowed to wear open toed shoes in school even if we're going to wear something causal lol

A bit. But most Chinese living in Binondo are more traditional and diversed compared to those in San Juan or QC. Binondo also has a sizable popultion of Taiwanese.

It's a very different society compared to those in HK!

So where do you go for the best chinese food?

What about the most affordable (but clean) but delicious Chinese food?

I don't eat Chinese food but Northpark and Superbowl China seems popular there.

I don't eat Chinese food but Northpark and Superbowl China seems popular there.

Yup both serve good Chinese food!....

In the Chinatown area, President and VIP (serves very good and big siomai) has good and affordable Chinese food. Also, there's this small Chinese restaurant near cd-r king (forgot the name) that has one of the cheapest and most delicious dimsum ever lol (but clean heheheh).

In the Banawe area, Causeway and Light Year (they serve half of a pineapple after every a set meal...I think this applies when you're ordering only a few dishes) serves good food.

OMG... President, I LOVE President. There used to be a place called Ocean Dragon but that has sadly closed down. :(

Lots of good Chinese restaurants on Banawe. Is Causeway the one that looks like a boat?

Gusto ko pa rin ang mga makalumang panciteria.

President is one of the classics that I remember going to back when I was a munting food lover. It's an institution. Parang yung Ocean Dragon na dati meron silang eat all you can dim sum na kanilang pakulo noong bago pa ang eat all you can craze. Napalugi siguro ng customer na katulad ko.

Is there still Kowloon House dimsum? I don't think this franchise is located in Chinatown but I like their siopaos and beef curry pies.

Is there still Kowloon House dimsum? I don't think this franchise is located in Chinatown but I like their siopaos and beef curry pies.

It's still there. I love thier stuff!

Yes! Thanks lotrfan! Hey, you've got lots of fans in the Skybar! :)

It is true all chinatown or chinese cities have these strange funky smell of decaying organic matter in them... i don't know where it comes from, maybe it is because of tea or food they dump in the sewers?? i don't know really... Even when i went to Hong Kong this funky chinatown smell similar to binondo is present...

I love the way TJ described it as "this funky Chinatown smell" :) :)

I wonder if there's a funky chinatown music to go with all the aroma - what about some of that squeeling Beijing opera?

Chinatown in Manila is very interesting but it can be a bit dangerous there at night. But the place sort of reminds me of Aberdeen in HK.

Cantonese (HK) :)
http://photos.friendster.com/photos/12/98/10928921/1710227257123l.jpg

Fujianese (MNL) :)
http://photos.friendster.com/photos/22/46/3676422/14639642330690l.jpg

I think the Manila Fujian girl is prettier - just my opinion! :)

They both need to use de-frizzer for their hair. Maybe a leave-in conditioner so that they don't have that just-got-out-of-bed look, unless that's intentional.

My sister, when she went to mainland China when it just opened itself for tourism (I think in the province of Guangzhou) said that she was appalled that a lady just squatted on the street and urinated there. That was in early 1990s.

That is soooo gross! Maybe she was a "street performer"? :)
Imagine how many flogs she'd get if she did that in Singapore or Malaysia!

They both need to use de-frizzer for their hair. Maybe a leave-in conditioner so that they don't have that just-got-out-of-bed look, unless that's intentional.

hmmm could be intentional - adds a certain come back to bed with me baby allure..... :)

Fujianese (MNL) :)
http://photos.friendster.com/photos/22/46/3676422/14639642330690l.jpg

She's pretty but it looks like she had something done to her nose and eyes.

hmmm could be intentional - adds a certain come back to bed with me baby allure..... :)

I'm glad you think that drfeelgood since my hair has some natural wave and occasional frizzies in it. ;)

The just out-of-bed look is 'in' nowadays.

She's pretty but it looks like she had something done to her nose and eyes.

I used to think it was just a crazy urban myth but I recently saw a doc about how popular eye lid surgery is all over East Asia - Japan, especially. The trend is being copied everywhere in the Far East. Ok some of the results look good but quite a few turn out to be real disasters - they look so deformed!! Just imagine the fortune they spend on these. On a similar note, "whitening soap" is currently de rigeur in many African countries. A lot of them contain very harmful chemicals though.

I'm glad you think that drfeelgood since my hair has some natural wave and occasional frizzies in it. ;)

The just out-of-bed look is 'in' nowadays.
wow so you're naturally seductive :) unlike these girls you don't need products to help you shine !

what a smooth-talker. no wonder you call yourself drfeelgood. ;)

Is there still Kowloon House dimsum? I don't think this franchise is located in Chinatown but I like their siopaos and beef curry pies.

I saw some when I was in Quezon City but I don't consider it dim sum. Actually Siopao is more Filipino-Chinese because you won't find it at a Chinese restaurant in HK. Same as Siomai.

^oh ye. good stuff. knowingly i thought it was fully chinese food. cool

OMG... President, I LOVE President. There used to be a place called Ocean Dragon but that has sadly closed down. :(

Lots of good Chinese restaurants on Banawe. Is Causeway the one that looks like a boat?

I don't think so heheheh (grabe kahit nakatira ako banda dun di ko alam lol). it's on the corner of Banawe and Del Monte avenue, tapat ng Leching.

Let me add another resto...Han Pao!!! seriously, they have the best fried dumplings ever! lol I used to have them for breakfast every sunday together with lugaw and siomai :banana:

Han Pao yes... also Banawe Soy Bean Factory. I think that's what it's called.

http://aringaseo.web.aplus.net/pupuplatter/lozano_chino_pansitero.jpg

^ Where did you get that Wonderboy? Talagang isang bandehadong pancit 'yan ah.

^ Where did you get that Wonderboy? Talagang isang bandehadong pancit 'yan ah.

Sorry I forgot to cite my source and put caption. Got that from Geocities I think. Caption from what I remember says the Chinese used to sell pancit in Divisoria to merchants, buyers, etc. I wonder what their pancit tastes like before. I mean majority of the restaurants, eateries within the Binondo district are Cantonese-inspired. Is anyone familir with Dong Bei Chinese dumpling located at Calle Nuevo? Below is the food review. Food is divine I swear:

One of the wonderful stops we had during our Binondo Food Tour (see previous post) was at a dumpling restaurant. Authentic Northern Chinese cooking was on offer at this small but delicious outlet. I promised our guide I would not publish its whereabouts so you would have to take his tour to find out… but I wouldn’t have been able to tell you the name anyway because I can’t read Chinese characters and that’s all that was posted on the glass doors of the restaurant. At any rate, we had meat and vegetable dumplings poached in broth or water and served with a nice light soy and garlic sauce as well as some of the most wicked and delicious chilli sauce. In addition, we ordered fried dumplings that were also really good. First, the dough was rolled out right in front of our eyes then the stuffed and slow fried in soya bean oil. The fried dumplings were cut into four and eaten with the same sauces as the boiled dumplings.

http://www.zyng.com/images/meals_big/DUMPLING.jpg

You may also visit the link for the pictures:

http://www.marketmanila.com/archives/chinatown-dumplings

Oh my. You can't post pictures of food when I haven't eaten yet.... argh. Nyam nyam nyam.

http://www.zyng.com/images/meals_big/DUMPLING.jpg

You may also visit the link for the pictures:

http://www.marketmanila.com/archives/chinatown-dumplings

looks so darn good!

looks so darn good!

My chinese neighbours used to make something similar - but instead of frying it, they steamed the dumplings. :)

Hey, you've got lots of fans in the Skybar! :)

Why do you say so? lol

I think the Manila Fujian girl is prettier - just my opinion! :)
para syan cross ni KC conception and glady's reyes.

Yeah, even malls and public comfort rooms are going to be installed with Korean and Chinese signs.


There was a discussion about that in another thread and it would be wrong to do that because those aren't official languages of the Philippines.

Our family has a modest rental space there, along Ongpin corner Fernandez street.

There was a discussion about that in another thread and it would be wrong to do that because those aren't official languages of the Philippines.

Sa sign na yan, parang doon mo makikita na nagiging multicultural na ang Pinas! Even sa Hong Kong may mga tagalog signs doon!

Sa sign na yan, parang doon mo makikita na nagiging multicultural na ang Pinas! Even sa Hong Kong may mga tagalog signs doon!

That's Hong Kong, we're our own. If they want to do that, let them. Plus it shows that they don't do their homework because there's no need to post Tagalog signs that much because we're English speaking.
The truth is that we aren't multicultural, we're not an immigrant country. We're diverse nationally, but we're Filipinos and Pilipino and English are the official languages.

My chinese neighbours used to make something similar - but instead of frying it, they steamed the dumplings. :)


Yeah, their dumplings are steamed. It's delicious and fun to eat. :)

That's Hong Kong, we're our own. If they want to do that, let them. Plus it shows that they don't do their homework because there's no need to post Tagalog signs that much because we're English speaking.
The truth is that we aren't multicultural, we're not an immigrant country. We're diverse nationally, but we're Filipinos and Pilipino and English are the official languages.

Sa ngayon, hindi ganun ka multicultural ang Pinas kung ikumpara mo sa ibang bansa sa South East Asia. Pero nagsisimula maging multicultural. Yung nasa Makati ako, marami akong nakitang signs in Hangeul.

Totoo na hindi kailangan maglagay ng mga tagalog signs sa Hong Kong pero maraming lugar doon na meron katulad sa Statue Square at dati sa Star Ferry.

^ u serious, they have tagalog signs over there. that's nice. i mean why? we speak english

Sa ngayon, hindi ganun ka multicultural ang Pinas kung ikumpara mo sa ibang bansa sa South East Asia. Pero nagsisimula maging multicultural. Yung nasa Makati ako, marami akong nakitang signs in Hangeul.

Totoo na hindi kailangan maglagay ng mga tagalog signs sa Hong Kong pero maraming lugar doon na meron katulad sa Statue Square at dati sa Star Ferry.

Ditto. The last time I went to rockwell, I thought I was in Korea because the Koreans seemed to have outnumbered the Filipinos lol

If you go to Paranaque in BF Homes, it's pretty muck KoreaTown.

^ u serious, they have tagalog signs over there. that's nice. i mean why? we speak english

Kasi ang Pilipino ang pinaka malaking minority group sa HK karamihan mga DH!

Ang parang Korea Town sa BF Homes ay doon sa Aguirre Ave. Sa BF ako nag stay yung nasa Manila ako. Pero para sa akin, wala akong problema sa mga Koreans dyan. Pero wag lang mag discriminate ang mga pinoy and vice versa rin sa kanila.

:okay: Agree. I actually really have no problems with non-Pilipino or non-English signage. It's not like they are out of context.

That's Hong Kong, we're our own. If they want to do that, let them. Plus it shows that they don't do their homework because there's no need to post Tagalog signs that much because we're English speaking.
The truth is that we aren't multicultural, we're not an immigrant country. We're diverse nationally, but we're Filipinos and Pilipino and English are the official languages.

...and multi-ethnic look of the people here makes it even seem like there are more immigrants than there really are. There are really lots of Filipinos that look like foreigners.

Karamihan ng mga celebs at models sa Pinas ganun. In fact daming models sa Pinas na half-lang o balikbayan katulad ni Cindy Kurleto, Derek Ramsey at iba pa. Wala naman tagalang pure Filipino. It's either you're Malay, Chinese, Spanish or mixed :)

Yup, kaya nga ang daming cute sa 'Pinas eh.

chinoys are great,... most well mannered. I know coz my gr8 uncle is xavier's administrator,... my best friend is chinese ,... and hes so clean, I feel like a pig around him sometimes....

... but, dudes, I think the chinese from cebu are cooler,... than those from manila,I like saw so many of them at the bars, my eyes were poping and since most of them werent pure 100 percent chines their bodies had curves, with perfect oriental skins

^^ hahah oo mas magaganda mga mixed kaso most chinese families gusto chinese lang ang pakasalan...oh well, pero times are changing lol

^ Sista whatabout koreans and Japanese are they open to marrying Koreans and Japanese?

chinoys are great,... most well mannered. I know coz my gr8 uncle is xavier's administrator,... my best friend is chinese ,... and hes so clean, I feel like a pig around him sometimes....

... but, dudes, I think the chinese from cebu are cooler,... than those from manila,I like saw so many of them at the bars, my eyes were poping and since most of them werent pure 100 percent chines their bodies had curves, with perfect oriental skins
Baket pag pure Chinese ba parang tingting?

^^ no... straight bodies ... as in walang korte.... :)

...and multi-ethnic look of the people here makes it even seem like there are more immigrants than there really are. There are really lots of Filipinos that look like foreigners.


That's true, there's so many filipino looks, but those are still filipinos. You can still tell.

@ Kyle - I also find those not pure Chinese more interesting (and better looking) than pure ones.

@ Thisfire - Yeah, you can still tell especially if you've been staying in the Philippines for long, but to some foreigners, they won't be able to tell if a mestizo-looking guy is Filipino or not by the looks alone. But there really are signs like the black or dark brown hair and the black or dark brown eyes.

That's true, there's so many filipino looks, but those are still filipinos. You can still tell.

everyone thinks that my mom is mexican. its because of her very pointy nose and very articulate in spanish.

^ Your mom is Cebuana mestiza?

^ Sista whatabout koreans and Japanese are they open to marrying Koreans and Japanese?

I think they're more open (coz my cousin is dating a korean woman), but they're still rigid. My friend went to korea and grabe daw mga tao dun. They don't say "excuse me" even though it's part of their language. Kung siksikan ang place, the people will hit you. Then the good part is, they have high regards to elders. In their subways, you have to give your seats to the elders. :)

My grandmother (born in China) had to run away from her parents for a bit to marry a Filipino man.

Isn't that a bit racists. Don't filipinos get kind of offended when they hear that. I mean after all it is the country they ran too and gave them opportunities when they were mass starving in China and then to look down on the natives like that....

My grandmother (born in China) had to run away from her parents for a bit to marry a Filipino man.

daw mano po....

Isn't that a bit racists. Don't filipinos get kind of offended when they hear that. I mean after all it is the country they ran too and gave them opportunities when they were mass starving in China and then to look down on the natives like that....

Yup. Totoo yan. Sadly, Nangyayari din yan ngayon with some of the people that I know [they say tsao huan (Hokkien, tsao=mabaho, huan=person) mga pinoys, same with the way pinoys use to call us, intsik], but a lot of us are assimilating and appreciating the Filipino culture....thankfully! :)

^ u meant saying intsik is an insult

Your mom is Cebuana mestiza?

yeah, i got the nose though luckily. my chinky eyes from dad :lol:

^ u meant saying intsik is an insult

yup, a lot of Filipinos and Chinese say it is. Kaya tuwing may magsasabi ng insik sa school ko or sa work ng ate ko, napapasensyahan na lang because that is the word use to pertain to the Chinese back in the Spanish era when they were treated as lower than the indios :)

Mahirap to! Sa alam ko intsik ang tagalog word for Chinese. Yung sa comment na karamihan ng mga Chinese, Chinese lang ang gusto nilang pakasalan mostly applied sa mga Filipino-Chinese lalo na ang mga traditonal Fujianese families.

Kung pumunta ka sa Hong Kong or sa mainland, iba ang mentality ng mga tao doon.

Yeah i thought intsik was just a tagalog slang word for Chinese. I dind't know they find it offensive. Like pinoy or something

yup, a lot of Filipinos and Chinese say it is. Kaya tuwing may magsasabi ng insik sa school ko or sa work ng ate ko, napapasensyahan na lang because that is the word use to pertain to the Chinese back in the Spanish era when they were treated as lower than the indios :)

nice to know :) but shouldn't someone say something at school especially in sibika at kultura or history class. i remember the tagalog of chinese is intsik but since you told me, i wont use the word no longer :)

So what is now Tagalog of Chinese?

So what is now Tagalog of Chinese?


chino or chinoy. if not sure if one is chinese or japanese/korean, etc. call him chinito. :)

i thought Zohirto :D

I find chink o chekwa more offensive than intsik.

Paano yung mga foreigners sa Hong Kong kung tawagin silang gweilo, don't they get offended o any caucasian being called Joe in Manila?

^yeah we call them joe mama ;)

Why should they be offended? They started it with GI Joe. Kids during the war were taught to call soldiers "Hey Joe, come here. Give me candy."

chino or chinoy. if not sure if one is chinese or japanese/korean, etc. call him chinito. :)

we use those words :) hehehhe. I'm actually fine with the word Instik, I didn't know it was offensive when someone told it to me lol

wasn't chin, aderogatory term of the british for the chinese...?

Nope pero ang name "China" ay galing sa Chin Dynasty :)

I know it is chink that is deragotary . Americans use

I know it is chink that is deragotary . Americans use

Actually The British used it first due to the fact that they had alot of settlements in China including HK :)

just call them Chino. Thats the more politcally correct term.

the Welcome Arch in Binondo specifically says "Arko ng Pagkakaibigang Pilipino-Tsino".

Pag intsik kase parang naaassociate ko sa 'singkit' which is kinda 'racist' or 'derogatory'.

Chino, Chinoy, Chinito. Ayus!

cebu is one place where there is a big chinese population, but has no chinatown. the chinese-cebuanos live harmoniously with the native cebuanos.

^u mean the natives or the koreans

Yeah, me too, I felt that the word 'Intsik' sounds offensive. Tsino or Tsinoy sounds better. I'm hearing it more often in the media.

Any half-Filipino forumers in here or know someone who is? Those who are, which culture are more dominant whether it's the Filipino or other. And also, who's parent is Filipino whether it's your dad or mom. How is it like being half Filipino?

Anyway, like I said in other threads, I'm half Filipino and half Malaysian. My dad's Filipino from Olongapo and my mom's from Melaka. But since I have alot of Filipino friends and Filipinos are more dominant than Malaysians in HK, I'm more exposed to the Filipino culture. I've met alot of half Filipinos in The Philippines and they feel they're more Filipino than the other half.

http://www.taiohi.co.nz/face1.jpg

I'm not Half Filipino, maybe about 95%. I'm 5% Spanish.

I'm not Half Filipino, maybe about 95%. I'm 5% Spanish.

That doesn't count man :)

haha ^^ that was funny Wanch. made me chuckle chuckle :lol:

How about half Ilocano and half Ilonggo, does that count? ;)

How bout half Filipino, half American. :lol:

For real though, being Filipino-American has given me my share of identity crises. :D It's a little difficult to articulate how/why at the moment, but it's something along the lines of what you speak of Wanch -- if one culture is more prevalent than the other.

This questioning of identity came to me at a young age too. My mom told me that this one time we were at the mall and I was playing amongst the clothes racks when this kid asks me, "What are you?" I run back to my mom to ask her and she responds, "You're Filipino." I run back to tell the kid and he asks yet another question, "You're not American?" Again, I go back to my mom and I ask, "Mom, am I Filipino or am I American?"

im like half chinese

My mom is half and my dad is half

oh and my great grandfather was spanish

what if you're half boy - half girl

does it count if I don't have Filipino blood? lol

what if you're half boy - half girl

That would be a Hermaphrodite. :lol:

does it count if I don't have Filipino blood? lol

Actually I consider you Filipino since you're born and raised in the Philippines.

^^ohhhhhh didn't think of that, I thought you were talking about the blood thing lol

^^ohhhhhh didn't think of that, I thought you were talking about the blood thing lol

The blood thing counts as well but you know The Filipino, it's very diverse whether you're Malay, Spanish or Chinese.

My mum's half-Filipino. My dad claims he has mix Portuguese-Arabic-Filipino blood (WTF?!). So, I really don't know.

Both my parents are Filipino but for some odd reason I look Chinese. Sometimes I get along with Chinese people better than Filipinos, which is weird.

I think 20% (or was it 40?) of Filipinos have Chinese blood yata..

so sista, both of you're parents are chinese?

i guess that if you are raised here, no matter what your skin color is or what your race is, you'd still be pinoy sa diwa, sa salita at sa gawa ;)

Interesting article about those who says they are part Spanish. In this case, you might be part Mexican. ;)

---

THROUGHOUT the years of the galleon trade, there were waves of Mexicans who sailed to the Philippines to stay. The total number who immigrated to the islands has not been fixed, but it can be safely assumed that this came to several thousands.

The Mexicans were so effectively assimilated that a report by Tomas de Comyn, general manager of Compania Real de Filipinas in 1810, where he estimated the breakdown of the Philippine population of 2,515,406, inaccurately figured the number of Mexicans in the country.

Comyn confused with the local population many of those whose ancestors had come from Mexico a century before. So well did the Mexicans intermingle that they left behind a heritage that continues to be apparent to this day. A good number of fruits, medicinal plants and flowering plants were exchanged between the Philippines and Mexico.

Besides maiz (which is also called by the same name in the Philippines), tobacco was introduced in the islands. “La Paloma” continues to be a favorite ditty among Filipinos and many Filipino folk dan*ces have a marked of Me*xican influence.

The influx of Mexicans was reciprocated to a smaller extent by the emigration of Filipinos to Mexico. The first group of emigrants, according to historians, consisted of the four followers of Magat Salamat, son of Lakandula, chieftain of Tondo. They were exiled to Mexico by Gov. Santiago de Vera in 1588, after the first abortive revolt against the Spanish regime.

In the course of the galleon trade, hundreds of Filipino sailors deserted their ships upon reaching Acapulco and, later on, San Blas.

A story that gained popularity among Filipinos in America is about the fact that several of these deserters found their way from Mexico to Louisiana, where they established the first Filipino settlement in the marshes near New Orleans.

Marina Espina, librarian of the University of New Orleans, wrote about these sailors in a book. She conjectured that the settlement had existed as far back as the late 1700s. Historian Carlos Quirino picked up a similar story from an article written by Lafcadio in the Harper’s Weekly in 1883 about the “Manila men of Saint Malo.” Hearn estimated that the settlement had been in existence 50 years earlier, or in the 1830s.

However, another historian, Malcolm H. Churchill, who has conducted extensive research on Louisiana and on early Filipino settlements in the area, has contradicted that narrative, pointing out that the settlement did not exist until the 1840s.

What is generally accepted is that Filipino sailors were crossing the Pacific Ocean over half a century before the Mayflower sailed the Atlantic and that someone from Las Islas Filipinas was a member of the original expedition that was dispatched by Spanish authorities to establish El Pueblo de Los Angeles—today’s L.A.

Antonio Miranda Rodriguez was identified as a poblador, a member of the expedition, in an article written by William Mason, curator of the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History. Unfortunately, Rodri*guez could not be present on the day of the founding of Los Angeles at the site now occupied by Olvera Park, because he had to remain in Loreto, in Baja, California, to attend to his daughter who was dying of cholera.

In the mid-eighties, after hearing from various sources about the story of Rodriguez, and fascinated by the history of Filipinos in the American southwest, I went to Olvera Park in an effort to find the name of Rodriguez on the foundation marker. I didn’t find it. Puzzled, I sought out William Mason and asked for an interview. It was then that he clarified that while Rodriguez was, indeed, a member of pobladores, he was not present on the actual founding of L.A.

Rodriguez subsequently became armorer in the Presidio of Santa Barbara, where he died a few years later. There is a marker in the Presidio chapel acknowledging his presence, placed there by the Filipino community of Santa Barbara and the Santa Barbara historical preservation society.

What is interesting is that Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa of Los Angeles, who is of Mexican descent, in a media interview a few months ago sought to still give credit to Rodriguez for being a poblador. He said, in effect, that the Philippine native deserved some credit for being part of the original expedition, even if he couldn’t make it all the way.

Today, in America, Filipinos are known as the “Latinos of Asia,” because of the shared history of our people and the Mexicans. What is not fully appreciated is the fact that our relationship is more than skin deep.

http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2005/dec/07/yehey/opinion/20051207opi2.html

^^The closest thing we have with the Mexicans are the Telenovelas (sometimes called Mexiconovelas) whose popularity has largely deteriorated due to the influx of Asian soaps.

so sista, both of you're parents are chinese?

i guess that if you are raised here, no matter what your skin color is or what your race is, you'd still be pinoy sa diwa, sa salita at sa gawa ;)

yeah they're both very chinese lol and you're right, I feel more Filipino no matter how they look at it.

I remember last week, my mom is again very discriminant of Filipinos saying Filipinos are like this and like that. Me and my siblings are in defense of our fellow Filipinos stating that they are most of time nicer than most chinese people out there lol (no offense to chinese lol)

Our Chinese neighbor is very kind. Laging nag-ooffer ng help. Minsan unsolicited yung tulong nila.

^^The closest thing we have with the Mexicans are the Telenovelas (sometimes called Mexiconovelas) whose popularity has largely deteriorated due to the influx of Asian soaps.

hahaha I remember dati lahat ng tao baliw kay Thalia loll. I think those telenovelas are just fads lol though I prefer asianovelas more than mexicanovelas lol

^^ Masyadong liberal na ngayon ang mga Spanish telenovelas. Kaya di na type ng pinoy.

My father is a son of a Chinese descent male and a Spanish meztiza whose parents are relatives of Bulacans first political leaders. While my mother is a through and through Filipina. She is a Bicolana who came from a humble family.

Question: Is Isabel Preysler a half-Filipina or pure-Spanish?

Our Chinese neighbor is very kind. Laging nag-ooffer ng help. Minsan unsolicited yung tulong nila.

Same as ours :D Especially tuwing Chinese New Year binibigyan ako ng HK$1000 na lai see :D

Question: Is Isabel Preysler a half-Filipina or pure-Spanish?


She was born and raised in the Philippines. A Mestiza - quarter Filipina, the rest is Spanish. So Enrique Iglesias is 1/8 Filipino but half filipino when we talk about origins. :)

^^Oh, thanks. I saw her hours ago on TVE.

^^ and she's usually in most Spanish magazines like Hola! a real celebrity/model mom in Spain.

as for me, im not half-half. hehehe. but im mixed Filipino, Spanish, English (Scottish actually--great grandfather) and some Chinese (from my maternal grandfather). :)

She was born and raised in the Philippines. A Mestiza - quarter Filipina, the rest is Spanish. So Enrique Iglesias is 1/8 Filipino but half filipino when we talk about origins. :)

I see...I always thought she was pure Spanish as she looks totally European.
So you have Scots blood Juan? Have you been to Scotland?

lol, dont about the percentage but it's japanese, spanish and malay. :lol:

^^ LOL! buenos dias señor Esteban, que tal?

yea i have WASP blood, unfortunately :no: hahaha! j/k
every todos los santos we would go visit our scottish in the cemetery in the province. His apellido's Anderson. I havent been to Scotland actually but my family has (in Edinburgh and Glasgow). :)

Spain... our colonizer... yet i feel that they have left us? i mean Iberia doesnt fly to Manila anymore, yet KLM still flies to Jakarta... Spanish was a official language until like a few decades ago... discuss!

I think we still have ties with Spain infact our president had a state visit to Spain recently

spanish investment is up lately

This is an insider information (Spanish consul): Spain has been invloved in our country for a long time but due to the "hatefully propagandas" that still is known by Filipinos they have not been vocal about it. But since this "hatefully mentality" has now shifted to the USA, we now see much more exposure about Spain's investments in our country.

spanish investment is up lately

The Philippines could use more diversity in investments and certainly, further benefit from jobs creation. And with this offer to teach us Spanish (one more time) is a great thing. :)

---

Create infrastructure to boost local tourism'
BY CHRYSEE SAMILLANO

Spanish Ambassador to the Philippines Ignacio Sagaz yesterday
encouraged the creation of more infrastructure and other facilities
that cater to tourists to boost the country's tourism industry.

Sagaz said Spain is the second world power in tourism. It has a
population of 42 million but last year it had 62 million tourists, he
said. The tourism industry is the number one industry of Spain, he added.

"Although we rank number two in the world but we are number one in
terms of income," Sagaz said. He said the World Tourism Organization
is based in Madrid because Spain is important to tourism.

Sagaz said tourism is a wonderful way of generating income and
providing jobs. The country will need a complete strategy to improve
its tourism industry, he said. "However, you cannot expect many
tourists unless you clean your country," he added.

In Spain, we created a huge complex housing subsidiaries around the
tourism industry that include restaurants, café, casinos, and others,
which fueled the snowball of tourism, Sagaz said. "Your country is as
beautiful or even more beautiful compared to its neighboring countries
like Thailand. I see no reason why it cannot attract more tourists,"
he said.

Sagaz said he also would like to invite people from Spain to invest in
infrastructure in the Philippines through soft loans. I think
infrastructure is important if you want to develop a country, he said.

Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia said he has started to explore with the
Ambassador the possibility of Spain considering the dream of the city
to come up with a coastal road, he said. "We will make a feasibility
study for a north and south coastal road if possible because Sagaz
said it can be done," he said. With SM and the growth at the
Reclamation Area, a coastal road for Bacolod would be imperative, he said.

Meanwhile, Sagaz said a group of congressmen in the country would like
to revive the Spanish subject in the Philippines. He said Spain is
ready to finance 60,000 teachers to teach Spanish in secondary schools
and they will also negotiate with higher institutions, he said.

Spain... our colonizer... yet i feel that they have left us? i mean Iberia doesnt fly to Manila anymore, yet KLM still flies to Jakarta... Spanish was a official language until like a few decades ago... discuss!

This is not only about Spain but it can also apply to Mexico. The problems might lie with the Philippines. This was a message from Prof. Zialcita about Mexico-Philippine relations:

The opening chapter of Legarda's After the galleons highlights the
significance of the galleon trade for: 1) the Philippines and Asia and 2)
world trade.

How large was the population of the Philippines in the late 16th century:
Less than a million! Look at the context. The trade may have consisted of
only one ship a year but it carried wealth from different Asian countries,
especially from China, and exchanged them from Mexican silver which became
the legal tender in Asia down to the 19th century.

Various economic historians have underlined the importance of the trade:
the first trade network to link three continents together: Asia, Americas
and Europe. The longest running commercial enterprise: 250 years. Cf. such
authors as William Lytle Shurz or Pierre Chaunu. The latter was an
economic historian who wrote "Les Philippines et le Pacifique des
Iberiques." Basing himself on trade patterns, he said that the trade
finally linked together two hitherto disconnected trade regions: the
Pacific and the Atlantic.

He also said that because of the galleon trade, the Philippines became "le
seul vrai but du monde" (the only true end-point of the world). Cultural
currents originating in the Mediterranean and in the Atlantic entered an
archipelago where indigenous, Chinese and Japanese cultural influences
were also meeting each other.

Mexican historians have repeatedly organized conferences and exhibits on
the galleon trade. Gemma Araneta in fact has been involved in these. The galleon
trade had a tremendous influence on the formation of Mexican
nationality. Many things that define Mexico today came in via the galleon
trade. And my Mexican scholar-friends like to point out their indebtedness
to Filipino culture: Tagalog words, cockfighting with blades (tari),
fireworks, paper buntings for fiestas, coconuts, coconut-derived
specialties (ginatan, tuba), ivory saints carved in Manila workshops,
furniture with bone inlay.

Indeed just 2 years ago, Mexico wanted to send over an exhibit of Filipino
stuff found in Mexico because of the trade. But our government could not
come up with the counterpart funds. I should know. I was part of the
team.

O yeah, I remembered I told this to Hawayano. The Spanish Governemnet offered to restore the Intramuros ruins of San Ignacio Church, but the men of the government replied that they would rather have the funds applied to road construction. And incredible list of similar cases all over the land.

dapat hindi ito dito, this can be very informative :)

Cultural ties are difficult to erase.

This is an insider information (Spanish consul): Spain has been invloved in our country for a long time but due to the "hatefully propagandas" that still is known by Filipinos they have not been vocal about it. But since this "hatefully mentality" has now shifted to the USA, we now see much more exposure about Spain's investments in our country.While I can appreciate the reason why they would choose not to be vocal about their involvement in our country (if indeed this has been case), silence (and hoping that people would just change their minds) was not a good solution in my opinion. Counterpropaganda could have gone a long way to improve Spain's image. Visible financial aid and investment would even have been better. (Though I honestly believe that nobody "hates" Spain in the Philippines today. Perhaps, "indifferent" would be a better term.)

Do we still have ties with Spain? Yes, we probably still do, but not as strong as our current ties with the US. (That's not to say that these ties are mutually exclusive, or that we won't stand to gain by renewing and strengthening our ties with Spain.)

^^ I believe they were doing it in the grassroots level. The Spanish government have been vocal this year, considering 2006 is the Philippine-Spanish year. Also, articles that I posted in foro filipino thread indicates that they will be more aggressive now, since the Philippines is an important outpost for Spain in Asia. ;)

Cultural ties are difficult to erase.

Speaking of culture, Spain is now having the largest exhibit for the Philippines from colonial to the present times.

May-September 2006: http://www.filipiniana.es/

That exhibit is very very interesting.
I would like to go!

i still feel that spain has abandoned the philippines... they have very strong ties with their other colonies mexico and the southern american countries... i mean, i cant see any filipinos still speaking spanish, except the forumers in the foro espanol thread x], and i havnt heard of many filipinos in spain, or many spanish communities in the philippines

More jobs await Pinoys in Spain

Joyce Pangco Pañares

At least 500,000 jobs in the energy and medical industries of Spain and Canada await Filipino workers, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo announced yesterday.

President Arroyo said she would fly to Spain next month upon the invitation of King Juan Carlos to discuss investment and labor opportunities between the two countries.

“The Spanish government has informed us that they will need about 100,000 Filipino workers over the next two years,” the President said in a speech at the 27th National Conference of Employers at the Manila Hotel yesterday.

She said the Canadian government had also expressed its intention to increase the number of employment slots for Filipino workers in anticipation of a massive oil exploration and refinery project.

“Three provinces in Canada, namely, Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan, are seeking labor agreements with us. If their plan to exploit their newly discovered oil field, which is touted to be as large as the Saudi oil reserve, pushes through, that would translate to an estimated 400,000 jobs for Filipino workers. Canada wants Filipino labor because our workers are the greatest in the world,” Arroyo said.

Filipino workers abroad, whom the President described as “the backbone of the new global work force” and “the country’s greatest export,” have become a pillar of the economy, bringing in more than $10 billion, roughly 12 percent of the gross domestic product, into the country.

In a related development, a top executive of the business process outsourcing industry is projecting the recruitment of thousands of Filipinos to work as Spanish-speaking call center agents in the next few years. With Rio N. Araja
http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=politics03_may24_2006

30 - Spain looms as new magnet for OFWs

Friday, June 30 2006 @ 08:55 PM BST

News affecting OFW's

MADRID, June 30 (via PLDT) Spain looms as the new magnet for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) following the signing Thursday of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between Manila and Madrid allowing the entry of Filipino professionals and other skilled workers into this Iberian country.

Spain is a preferred destination of overseas jobseekers because workers here are protected by the country's labor and social laws regardless of nationality. Discrimination in the workplace is practically unheard of.

Working conditions in Spain are good -- far better than in other countries with heavy concentrations of migrant workers.

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said Filipino workers in Spain are getting a monthly salary of E600 (roughly P40,000), or higher than the minimum wage of E500, which other unskilled migrant workers from other countries receive.

OFWs also receive two mandated bonuses, one in July and the other in December, each equivalent to their monthly basic pay.

They also get a 14th monthly bonus, 30 days paid vacation leave, which is convertible to cash, one and one-half days off, free housing/accommodation and meals for stay-ins, social security coverage to include medical and hospital benefits, and overtime pay and additional compensation for night work.

Foreign workers are covered by collective bargaining agreements industry-wide, including provisions for incremental wage increase annually.

"Given these conditions, migrant Filipino workers are able to maximize earning and employment potential and, at the same time, are able to receive other benefits such as travel with their employers within or outside Spain, acquisition of skills and expertise on the job, and from the more generous employers -- additional income for extra work," DOLE said.

Filipinos have an edge over other foreign workers in Spain's labor market scheme of things because of their reputation of honesty, industriousness and loyalty.

These are traits that will have to be carefully and consciously nurtured, according to outgoing Labor Secretary Patricia Sto. Tomas, if the Filipinos are to sustain their preferred status in Spain and elsewhere. Sto. Tomas, who signed the RP-Spain MOU on Labor for the government, said the first batch of 40 out of 100 OFWs to enter Spain this year under the new MOU have been thoroughly immersed in the do's and don'ts as foreign workers.

So will future batches of Spain-bound OFWs, she added.

A conversational knowledge of Spanish is important, so Spain-bound OFWs under the new labor agreement with Spain will undergo some kind of Spanish tutorial for that, Sto. Tomas said. (PNA)
http://ofw.balita.ph/html/article.php/20060630205548792

i still feel that spain has abandoned the philippines...

I agree.. we could've been usefull for them to tap in into the booming Asian markets...

i still feel that spain has abandoned the philippines... they have very strong ties with their other colonies mexico and the southern american countries... i mean, i cant see any filipinos still speaking spanish, except the forumers in the foro espanol thread x], and i havnt heard of many filipinos in spain, or many spanish communities in the philippines

Well i think its the other way around, we are the ones who abandoned Spain.

^^

yep.. nagrebelde tayo remember? Things today would not have been what they are now if di nangyari yun..

Well i think its the other way around, we are the ones who abandoned Spain.

Totally Agree. The American culture is too damn intoxicating!!

So why don't you all migrate to Spain and not the US.

okei ba dun?

okei ba dun?


si senyor! :) :) :)

well i heard they don't have jobs there. Economy only relies on tourism industry mostly. The people work overtime during tourism season so they have enough money for the rest of the year during dead season. But i'm sure it's very beautiful there.

^^

yep.. nagrebelde tayo remember? Things today would not have been what they are now if di nangyari yun..

Nag-rebelde tayo sa kolonyal na espanya at hindi sa ating kultura. Iba ang espanyang nakaraan sa makabagong espanya.

So why don't you all migrate to Spain and not the US.

Personally I never really wanted to migrate here nor to any other country. And why here? why not? it doesn't mean na nagpunta na'ko dito'y kakalimutan o tuluyan ko nang tatalikuran ang bayang aking sinilangan, o ang kulturang humubog sa kung sino man ako ngayon.

hmm... i can see your point... i wonder what would have happened if america didnt come into the picture... philippines wouldve been another mexico, south america in asia, or somethinglike that... i would have to say, i wouldve prefered the spanish influence on our country then the american influence.... but if that many ofw's are in spain, how come iberia or pal havnt started any routes? still pondering on why that is...

Arroyo arrives with multi-million-dollar investment

PRESIDENT Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo returned home Sunday morning with a US$350 million deal from Spain and the blessings and commitment of continued prayers for Filipinos from Pope Benedict XVI and the promised state visit to the country next year of Spanish King Carlos I and Queen Sophia.

Arroyo, who was accorded military honors, disembarked from the chartered Philippine Airlines Flight No. 001 at 8:20 a.m. Sunday at the 250th Presidential Airlift Wing (PAW) in Villlamor Air Base, Pasay City, together with her entourage including Presidential son Diosdado Ignacio Arroyo and his family, government officials led by Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo, Tourism Secretary Ace Durano and Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye and a delegation of businessmen led by former energy secretary Vincent Perez.

Monday, July 03, 2006
Arroyo arrives with multi-million-dollar investment

PRESIDENT Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo returned home Sunday morning with a US$350 million deal from Spain and the blessings and commitment of continued prayers for Filipinos from Pope Benedict XVI and the promised state visit to the country next year of Spanish King Carlos I and Queen Sophia.

Arroyo, who was accorded military honors, disembarked from the chartered Philippine Airlines Flight No. 001 at 8:20 a.m. Sunday at the 250th Presidential Airlift Wing (PAW) in Villlamor Air Base, Pasay City, together with her entourage including Presidential son Diosdado Ignacio Arroyo and his family, government officials led by Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo, Tourism Secretary Ace Durano and Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye and a delegation of businessmen led by former energy secretary Vincent Perez.

SPAIN STARTS HIRING RP HEALTH WORKERS

MADRID, June 29, 2006 (STAR) By Aurea Calica - The Spanish government will allow more Filipino professionals to avail themselves of job opportunities in this country, beginning with 40 health workers whose performance and commitment to their contracts will serve as tests on whether or not it hires more Filipinos.

The signing will coincide with President Arroyo’s official visit here beginning today. She is scheduled to hold talks with Spanish businessmen to encourage them to make investments in tourism, information and communication technology and alternative fuel development.

Mrs. Arroyo pushed for the entry of more Filipinos in Spain as she noted that most Filipino workers here were domestic helpers while other nationalities managed to get into other sectors, Labor Secretary Patricia Sto. Tomas said. "So this will be a very good outcome of her visit here."

Mrs. Arroyo and her family took a two-day break in Santiago de Compostela after her official visit to Rome and the Vatican.

Trade Secretary Peter Favila made a presentation before Spanish businessmen while Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz met with Spanish security officials to discuss counterterrorism and intelligence cooperation between the two countries.

Spanish officials earlier said their government was also ready to help the Philippines market itself not only to Spanish, but to other European tourists as well.

Shortly after her arrival here, Mrs. Arroyo will visit the Congreso de los Diputados (Congress of Deputies and Senate of Spain) and the Ayuntamiento (City Hall) de Madrid to meet with Mayor Alberto Ruiz-Gallardon.

Mrs. Arroyo will then offer a wreath at the Rizal monument along one of Madrid’s major thoroughfares, Avenida de las Islas Filipinas. The monument, a replica of the monument in Rizal Park, was built in 1996 in commemoration of Rizal’s 100th death centenary.

Mrs. Arroyo will be guest of honor at a Filipiniana exhibit here and is scheduled to meet with the local Filipino community.

She will then have a luncheon meeting with officers and members of the Confederacion Española de Organizaciones Empresariales, a Spanish business organization.

Highlighting Mrs. Arroyo’s itinerary is her meeting with King Juan Carlos I. She will also have talks with Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero.

She will likewise attend the dinner hosted in her honor by Zapatero.

Mrs. Arroyo will receive several callers and visitors who will pay a separate courtesy call on her. They are former Spanish prime minister Jose Maria Aznar, the Union Fenosa/Soluziona, Partido Popular president Mariano Rajoy, and Ruiz Mateos, who is interested in investing in the Philippines.

Mrs. Arroyo’s visit to Spain will be capped by a luncheon meeting with King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofia.

She will also attend a Hispano-Filipino Friendship Day reception and leave on July 1 for Manila.

Mrs. Arroyo’s delegation will also meet with their Spanish counterparts.

Sto. Tomas said she would sign here today a memorandum of agreement with her counterpart, Spanish Labor Minister Jesus Calderal, to allow the entry of up to 200,000 Filipinos to Spain once the Spanish government and employers have been "impressed" by their skills and "loyalty."

"The only barrier they cited is the language. That is why we encouraged the first 40 workers to study Spanish," Sto. Tomas said.

Sixty more workers will be coming here in August and another 60 in September to complete the first batch of Filipino nurses and caregivers to penetrate the health sector.

"If all turns well, our expectation is that in the next two years, 100,000 to 200,000 of our countrymen can get in," Sto. Tomas said.

The second batch of workers will enter the hotel and restaurant industry; the third in construction; and the fourth in manufacturing and mining.

"It is our hope that after this experimental period, since they call this a pilot project, we can already have a bilateral agreement next year," Sto. Tomas said.

Sto. Tomas said it would be the first extensive labor accord with Spain that would open all sectors and industries to Filipino workers.

"Everything depends on how good the next six months are going to be in terms of how well our people perform on their contracts," Sto. Tomas said.

Sto. Tomas met with the Spanish employers and the first Filipino workers here to explain to them the need to do well and to fulfill their one-year contracts.

Spain has had problems with most foreign workers abandoning their contracts to seek other employment, she said.

"The employers also said the Filipino workers should be able to speak Spanish, especially those in the health sector because they should be able to communicate with the patients that are old and sickly," she said.

Sto. Tomas said the workers would get up to 1,400 euros monthly salary in 7,000 nursing homes alone in this country and 700 more would be built.

The first 40 Filipino workers were hired by a set of 30 nursing homes.

Sto. Tomas said she was happy that Filipino professionals would be able to penetrate the Spanish job market because the labor laws are similar to the Philippines’, unlike other countries.

"The basis of their laws is the same as ours so I don’t expect to have many problems," she said.

As regards nurses and caregivers, Sto. Tomas said she expected little trouble getting licenses because workers could secure them through evaluation of their skills and performance, no longer through board examinations.

She said Filipinos should earn the trust and confidence of Spaniards since a lot of employment opportunities would then be opened to them.

"I told them to just fulfill their contracts and go wherever you want to go afterwards. They are just an advance party here and the future employment of other Filipinos lie in their hands," Sto. Tomas said.

Sto. Tomas said despite the long history of bilateral relations between the Philippines and Spain, it was only now that a labor agreement was being considered.

"The Filipino workers will get free housing, cellular phones, free tours during orientation and many other privileges," she said.

The Spanish government, she said, was very hopeful that Filipinos would do well as only the Philippines got a managed migration system.

There are only 40,000 Filipinos in Spain, most of whom have already acquired Spanish citizenship.

I heard before that spanish people had a very rare disease that only pure gold was the only cure.

I heard before that spanish people had a very rare disease that only pure gold was the only cure.

One doesn't have to be Spanish to be corrupted by gold and earthly things. But that's what we "learn" from the "history" handed down to us. :dizzy:

hmm... i can see your point... i wonder what would have happened if america didnt come into the picture... philippines wouldve been another mexico, south america in asia, or somethinglike that... i would have to say, i wouldve prefered the spanish influence on our country then the american influence.... but if that many ofw's are in spain, how come iberia or pal havnt started any routes? still pondering on why that is...

What if the Insulares formed a stronger revolution in the early 19th century?
Or what if the Philippines (specifically the gobernador general) accepted Mexico's invitation to become independent as early as 1821?

I saw a Singapore Airlines ad a few months ago promoting flights from Manila to Barcelona. But of course, you have to pass through Singapore.

North America
Mexico
Mexico City (Mexico City International Airport)
United States
Chicago (O'Hare International Airport)
Miami (Miami International Airport)
New York City (John F. Kennedy International Airport)

Central America & Caribbean
Costa Rica
San José (Juan Santamaría International Airport)
Cuba
Havana (José Martí International Airport)
Dominican Republic
Santo Domingo (Las Americas International Airport)
Guatemala
Guatemala City (La Aurora International Airport)
Panama
Panama City (Tocumen International Airport)
Puerto Rico
San Juan (Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport)

South America
Argentina
Buenos Aires (Ministro Pistarini International Airport)
Brazil
Rio de Janeiro (Galeão International Airport)
São Paulo (Guarulhos International Airport)
Chile
Santiago (Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport)
Colombia
Bogotá (El Dorado International Airport)
Ecuador
Guayaquil (Simón Bolívar International Airport)
Quito (Mariscal Sucre International Airport)
Peru
Lima (Jorge Chávez International Airport)
Uruguay
Montevideo (Carrasco International Airport)
Venezuela
Caracas (Simón Bolívar International Airport)



Wheres the Philippines on that list? ... it seems iberia flys to all its homeland's former colonies except Filipinas! ='(

Don't be silly. If that's the case then Nicaragua is also forgotten since Iberia doesn't fly to Managua, or Equatorial Guinea, or Tegucigalpa.

Don't be silly. If that's the case then Nicaragua is also forgotten since Iberia doesn't fly to Managua, or Equatorial Guinea, or Tegucigalpa.


yeah, it's purely business

yeah, it's purely business
then why dont they fly to manila? there are like a concentration of ofw's there...

then why dont they fly to manila? there are like a concentration of ofw's there...


i guess, the demand is not that great for them to fly direct to Manila.
But with the recent opening of jobs in Spain for Filipinos, posible na magkaroon ng direct flights.

Is Spain even a popular destination for wealthy Filipinos?

^^Maybe with the Ayalas, Elizardes, Aboitizes, Roxases, Preyslers, and other mestizo families like the Arroyos and the Ledesmas. A lot of rich pinoys have been to Spain, too. As so does the not-so-rich.

I'd like to go to Spain and the Iberian peninsula. That will be next in my travel destination. :)

With around 55,000 citizens, the Filipinos form the 2nd largest Asian community in Spain behind the Chinese. Although many Filipinos did immigrate or ran away to Spain after the United States took over the islands in 1898, most of the Filipinos moved to the old metropoli during the 60s and 70s seeking jobs, which in many cases were related to house keeping or industrial activities. There's also a significant group of Spaniards of Filipino origins (some of whom are from 3rd and 4th generations) including some famous people like Isabel Preysler, mother of famous singer Enrique Iglesias.


pretty interesting find i thought id share :]

^^I think a lot of those Filipinos who migrated during the American takeover and the Marcos Era were Insulares anyway...or descendants of insulares, so they'd probably look and act more Spanish than Filipino. :)

I'd like to go to Spain and the Iberian peninsula. That will be next in my travel destination. :)

don't forget to drop by the Ethnic Museum when in Barcelona...they have a "Filipino" corner there :)

MADRID, JULY 2, 2006 (STAR) By Aurea Calica - (via PLDT) Spanish King Juan Carlos I wants improved economic and cultural ties with the Philippines, which he described as his country’s "great friend" in Asia.

During a luncheon he and Queen Sofia hosted for President Arroyo and her delegation, King Carlos said that, considering the two countries’ common history and mutual understanding, "we should consolidate, expand and further promote our relations."

"In an increasingly globalized and interdependent world, the Philippines and Spain should decisively embark on a substantial growth in their economic, trade and financial relations, so that they may be able to approximate the intensity and prominence that defines our cultural exchanges and our development cooperation," the monarch said during a lunch held to observe Fil-Hispano Friendship Day last June 30.

As to deepening cultural relations, King Carlos expressed his wish that Filipinos keep learning the Spanish language and never forget their Spanish heritage.

He said Spanish should be promoted in the Philippines "as a major vehicle for international communication, one having deep roots in your country, which is shared by more than 400 million people worldwide, and is in growing demand in Europe and North America, where it is now the second most widely-spoken language."

The King promised to enhance understanding and cooperation with the Philippines as a "tried and true friend" of Spain.

"A better day could not have been chosen to commemorate a friendship as solid as that between Spain and the Philippines, one which, with your visit, we are resolved to promote even further," he said.

King Carlos also praised Mrs. Arroyo for her courage and statesmanship in pushing for the abolition of the death penalty in the Philippines.

He said the move was transcendental and almost unprecedented in Asia, "which integrates your country in the group of nations which, like Spain, have worked and continue to work to eradicate this cruel and unjust penalty, which constitutes an attack on human rights."

The Spanish king said he and Queen Sofia have visited the Philippines on several occasions and enjoyed their time in the country tremendously.

"These unforgettable visits deepened our feelings of affection and admiration for the Philippines, for its people, always hospitable and hard working," he said.

The King said that on each visit, they became more convinced that there was so much unifying the two countries and so much potential to grow as partners, both economically and politically.

"We saw an eloquent example of these feelings of special closeness and solidarity in Your Excellency’s gesture of declaring three days of official mourning in the Philippines after the terrible terrorist attacks on March 11, 2004 in Madrid," he said, referring to the bombings of train stations here.

King Carlos said the two countries had reached a good political understanding which he wanted to improve through the European Union and the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), now being chaired by the Philippines.

http://www.newsflash.org/2004/02/hl/hl104349.htm

by ES Subong

Iloilo City (3 July) -- In pushing for a reinvigorated partnership through more trade and investments, president Gloria Arroyo invited Spain to make the Philippines as her “gateway to Asia “ during her two-day visit there.

President Arroyo expressed her gratitude over the interest shown by Spain in the Philippines which is its strongest bastion of influence in the Asia-Pacific region.

The strategic location of the Philippines in relation to the big economies of Japan, China and Korea as an investment destination, reinforces its potential as a logistics hub which can pave the way for Spain to reach the strong economies of Asia.

Banking on the close historical and cultural ties between the Philippines and Spain, President Arroyo also invited the business community in Spain to invest in tourism, energy, and other profitable sectors in the Philippines.

She said that the country offers many attractive advantages for Spanish investors, a workforce that is English speaking, highly literate, hardworking, most adaptable, most congenial, highly trainable and with strong ethics and customer orientation.

Mrs. Arroyo also urged businessmen to look into medical tourism, currently backed by the services of Filipino doctors, nurses and caregivers known worldwide for their professionalism and efficiency.

Meanwhile, the Philippines and Spain have reaffirmed their interest to forge closer defense cooperation to battle terrorism and other transnational crimes.

The respective defense ministers of the two countries signed a memorandum of intent to conclude negotiations on a bilateral defense cooperation within this year. (PIA 6) [top]

MADRID, July 1 (via PLDT) – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo thanked Spanish President Jose Luis-Rodriguez Zapatero for the support the Spanish government has generously extended to the Philippines.

The Chief Executive made this statement during the dinner hosted by the Spanish leader in her honor Thursday night, the eve of the celebration of the Philippines-Spanish Friendship Day at the Palacio de la Moncloa here.

The Philippines-Spanish Friendship Day is celebrated every June 30.

"I commend Spain for its technical and financial cooperation projects carried out through La Agencia Espana de Cooperacion Internacional," the President said.

She cited in particular the Instituto Oftalmologico Jose Rizal at the Philippine General Hospital in Manila which was inaugurated by Secretary of State for International Cooperation Leire Pajin during her visit to the Philippines last June 14-15.

The President expressed hope that cooperation projects that will be established as a result of her two-day official visit to Spain would boost commercial cooperation, investments, and pave the way for further artistic-cultural exchanges between Spain and the Philippines.

She noted the three words that best capture her visit to the kingdom, namely, life, solidarity, and prosperity.

Life, the President said, because last June 24, the feast day of His Majesty King Juan Carlos I, she signed into law the abolition of the death penalty.

"Solidarity, because Spain has played a major role in our history," she said.

Prosperity, the President added, because thousands of Filipinos have come to Spain to work, and whose presence has contributed to the increased knowledge and understanding between the two peoples.

According to the President, of all the countries in Europe, Spain has the deepest ties with the Philippines. "Moreover, it is your government, Mr. President, that has always understood and defended our principles on which we want to build our strong Republic," she said.

The President told the Spanish leader of her desire to initiate Philippine-Spanish cooperation on the promotion of human rights.

"We are proud of our Filipino workers and I find their participatory presence most mutually rewarding, which contributes to better understanding and greater awareness between our two peoples," the President said.

After her speech, the President invited President Zapatero to a toast to the health of their Majesties, the King and Queen of Spain, for the success of the Spanish President, and the happiness and prosperity of the people of Spain. (PNA)

http://news.balita.ph/html/article.php/20060701193749866

MANILA, JULY 3, 2006 (STAR) By Paolo Romero - The Philippines has secured investment commitments worth some 300 million euros from Spain in tourism, energy and information and communications technology (ICT) as well as in infrastructure development, President Arroyo said yesterday upon her arrival from a seven-day trip to Europe.

In her arrival statement, the President also said she was able to work with Prime Minister Jose Luis Zapatero for closer ties between the two countries in the areas of defense, security and judicial cooperation as well as witnessing efforts by Filipino and Spanish lawmakers to reduce foreign debt of poor nations.

"I met with the Confederacion Española de Organizaciones Empresariales, the largest economic group in Spain," she said. "There was serious interest in investments in the tourism, infrastructure, mining, energy and information technology."

Mrs. Arroyo said four projects, worth a total of 300 million euros, are in the pipeline. These projects include "oil and gas, hotel and resort development, ICT and infrastructure development."

Spain was the last leg of Mrs. Arroyo’s three-state swing that included Italy, and the Vatican, where she invited Pope Benedict XVI to visit the Philippines.

She said Spanish and Filipino parliamentarians belonging to the Christian Democrats International signed a protocol for the organization of an international conference for the conversion and investment of foreign debt of poor countries.

The conference, she said, seeks to create a social, political and legal framework that will serve as a platform for the conversion of the debt of 100 poor and middle-income countries into Millennium Development Projects with the aim of reducing the incidence of poverty by half in 2015.

"All these developments converge with our continuing gains in economic growth, political transformation and social justice in the Philippines," Mrs. Arroyo said.

Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said the bulk of the planned investments are in the area of tourism. He said since Spain is one of the top tourist destinations in the world, it "should be able to provide us enough inputs which will further enhance or improve our own tourism industry."

Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano told reporters that Spain’s two biggest hotel and resort chains — Occidental and New Romasa — are planning to put up 200- to 400-room hotels in the country’s top tourist destinations, particularly beaches, that would be worth at least P2 billion to P4 billion each.

Bunye and Durano said the government is pulling out all the stops to make the Philippines the "headquarters" of Spanish businessmen’s projected expansion in Asia.

"Since Spain as a whole is really looking to Asia to expand investment and these two groups, this (the hotel projects) will be their very first entry into Asia," Durano said, adding that top officials of Occidental would be arriving in the country next month while investors from New Romasa are coming before the end of the year.

"Of course we have to be frank with them as to what particular product in the country (is) doing well so we said beach destinations in the country. That is really hot right now so they will be looking at the beach destinations," he said.

Durano said once the investors, who note that tourism is a fast growing industry in Asia, find a favorable location for them, it will take only 18 months to two years until the resorts and hotels open their doors.

He said the two hotel chains are not really looking at Spanish tourists coming into the country but intend to cash in on the influx of American, Japanese, Korean and Chinese visitors.

Durano said the country aims to attract more tourists but is hampered by lack of facilities and infrastructure, making the projected Spanish investments most welcome.

He pointed out that the country’s tourist arrivals have been growing by an average of 13 percent annually in the last three years. Last year, the Philippines hit the 2.6 million mark in tourist arrivals, the first in 20 years, he said.

"This year we’ll breach three million (arrivals)," Durano said.

http://www.newsflash.org/2004/02/hl/hl104355.htm

The Philippines and Spain signed an agreement Saturday aimed at boosting defense ties and at increasing cooperation in the fight against terrorism and international crime.

The memorandum of intent was signed when President Arroyo met with Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero and other Spanish leaders, a presidential statement said.

Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz was quoted as saying that the two countries had to improve their defense ties that are presently limited to logistics cooperation and the exchange of information.

He called for greater dialogue and for the setting up of a joint team to study cooperation in other areas such as education, counter-terrorism, fighting transnational crime and maritime security.

"We need to have a strong ally here in the European Union. For them, they need to have an ally in ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and we are their most logical ally," he said.

The Philippines, a former Spanish colony with a largely Roman Catholic populace, is a mainstay of ASEAN, which also includes Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

The Philippines is seeking to upgrade its poorly-equipped military, which is battling both a nationwide communist insurgency and Muslim extremists in the south linked to al Qaeda and Jema'ah Islamiyah terror networks. AFP

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/topofthehour.aspx?StoryId=43190

JUST back home on Sunday from a weeklong European trip, President Macapagal Arroyo said she was returning to Spain next year for a state visit.

Arroyo said she has accepted the invitation of Spain's King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofia for her to come back for a state visit.

"His Majesty King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofia accorded me their warmest and most gracious welcome and I was honored to accept his Majesty's invitation for a state visit to Spain next year,'' the President said in an arrival statement released by the Palace hours after she and her party arrived home from an official visit to Spain.

The President said that her state visit next year to Spain would coincide with the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Spain.

http://newsinfo.inq7.net/breakingnews/nation/view_article.php?article_id=7755

^^^^ thats great news! ... about introducing spanish back in the filippines.. any opinions? like would you rather have the filippines a tri-lingual country or a spanish speaking country, or just ditch spanish all together?

^^^^ thats great news! ... about introducing spanish back in the filippines.. any opinions? like would you rather have the filippines a tri-lingual country or a spanish speaking country, or just ditch spanish all together?

Meron na tayong thread about Spanish language in the Philippines.

There is La Avenida de Las Filipinas in Madrid. There is a huge statue of RIZAL at the end of this main tributary.

Also, a best selling chocolate biscuit in Spain is called FILIPINOS.

The most famous celebrity is a Filipina--ISABEL PREYSLER, 1st wife of Julio Iglesias and mom of Enrique, Chabeli and Julio Jr. After she dumped Julio for his infidelity, she became Marquesa de Grinon. Then broke up with the Marque and married the Finance Minister of Spain.

There is La Avenida de Las Filipinas in Madrid. There is a huge statue of RIZAL at the end of this main tributary.

Also, a best selling chocolate biscuit in Spain is called FILIPINOS.

The most famous celebrity is a Filipina--ISABEL PREYSLER, 1st wife of Julio Iglesias and mom of Enrique, Chabeli and Julio Jr. After she dumped Julio for his infidelity, she became Marquesa de Grinon. Then broke up with the Marque and married the Finance Minister of Spain.


Delicious filipinos, hehehe
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a325/cbuilt/product-398066.jpg

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a325/cbuilt/image_322170.jpg

^^^^ thats great news! ... about introducing spanish back in the filippines.. any opinions? like would you rather have the filippines a tri-lingual country or a spanish speaking country, or just ditch spanish all together?

It would be nice to have it back again. The country used to have Spanish, English, and Filipino as the official languages. Their is an activism in the revival of the language in the private sector as well as in the government. Check the thread in the news sub-forum of the Philippine forum. :)

From the Book "Cine: Spanish Influences on Early Cinema in the Philippines" by Nick de Ocampo

On Language.. p.217

Until the 1930's, Spanish language cast its strong powers on the population. A record shows that in terms of readership, there were more readers of Spanish newspapers in the country. As of Dec. 31, 1929, there were 66,000 thousand readers of Spanish newspapers and publications but only 36,000 readers of English newspapers and 62,000 Tagalog readers. The use of the English language suffered during the first years of American colonization. Surprisingly, there was a resurgence of the Spanish language in ways that alarmed the ruling americans. When introduced to the American language, local inhabitants reacted by trying earnestly to speak in Spanish.

p.218

This was clearly the case in a report made by the Department of Education for 1908: " Spanish continues to be the most prominent and important language spoken in political, journalistic and commercial circles. English has active rivals as the language of intercourse and instruction. I think it's a fact that many more people in the islands have a knowledge of Spanish now than they did when the American Occupation occured. Through the great increase in number of circulation of newspapers and periodicals, there is now much more reading in Spanish than formerly."6

The phenomenal resurgence of the Spanish language came to a point, when, in 1936, an American observed in an article, "Everywhere, Spanish is trhe speech of business and social intercourse." In order to receive prompt attention, the annoyed American traveler writes, "Spanish is almost indispensable." He is surprised to find that his fellow Americans even discouraged the use of English as Spanish was used by the natives habitually and everywhere. Speaking in english one would not be treated with as much respect as one speaking in Spanish. He opines,"Filipinos seem to lose their manners in acquiring English, becoming rude, familiar and insolent."

In offices, Spanish was customarily used. English was spoken when the head of office happened to be an American. In schools, students were required to speak english, but outside offices and schools, Spanish so dominated the Filipinos, that it was an exception to hear English."8

p.221 Despite American efforts to curtail the use of Spanish language, it took years before Spanish declined. At one point, there was a series of laws issued by the American-controlled government to put a stop in the use of Spanish language and provide a speedy substitution of English.9 First came Act.190, which provided that English be the official language of all courts and their records after January 1, 1906. In desperation, Exec. Order No.44 issued on August 8, 1912, which qualified the previous declarations to mean that the language requirement did not amount to more than the "expression of a preference in English."

There was no doubt that Spanish was a living language. In order to act decisivelyin ending the use of Spanish as a language in courts, the deadline of January 1, 1920 was set for the use of Spanish as an "official langauge" together with English. After that, English would be the only official language in legal transactions in the land.

In order to make the use of English widespread, American administrators sought the help of schools to enact laws. But even this became a formidable task. It was an enormous task to change the speech of seven million people.10 It was reported that at the dawn of the American rulw, 2,167 American school teachers were employed in public schools.


Notes:

6. Report of the Director of Education for 1908, as cited in the "Henry Jones,Ford Report" and printed in Phil. Historical Review(1913-1929)

8. Ibid.

9. Ibid.

10. Ibid.

very interesting... hmmm if america never colonized the filippines, then spanish would still be spoken! ...

Sunday, July 02 2006 @ 08:41 PM BST

Business
MADRID, July 2 (via PLDT) * President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo expressed confidence on Saturday that the commercial aspect of the Philippines-Spain relations will pick up following her two-day official visit here.

In a pre-departure interview at the Ritz Hotel where she was billeted during her stay in Madrid, the President said the historic religious and cultural relations between the Philippines and Spain have produced a strong foundation for strong trade ties.

The President said Spain’s economy, riding on the crest of its booming tourism industry, has progressed by leaps and bounds over the past 10 years. Spain, she added, is now the No. 2 tourist destination in the world.

Spain’s economic success, she noted, is tourism-driven.

She said that Spain gained its current economic status after it implemented economic reforms that her administration is similarly undertaking. Spain now boasts of a per capita income that is almost at par with the leading economic powers in Europe.

Spain is looking eastward to Asia to expand its trade and commercial activities, especially with the big three economies in the region: Japan, China and South Korea. The Arroyo administration is hoping that Spain will establish its headquarters of Spain’s Asian operation in the Philippines.

The President said she was gratified that in its trade expansion program for Asia, Spain has included the Philippines as a priority area of its economic thrust.

In her discussions with European businessmen, the Chief Executive said the Philippines offers almost limitless opportunities for investors in tourism, infrastructure and energy.

The President clarified that red tape, which she mentioned in an interview in answer to a question, did not refer to delays in the processing of investment proposals, but rather in government contracts.

She also assured investors of speedy action on their proposals through a clearing house under the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

DTI Secretary Pater Favila earlier said that the President will issue an Executive Order directing DTI to take over the function of processing investment applications to avoid red tape.

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i hope spain will help the philippines tap into the tourism industry like they have...

very interesting... hmmm if america never colonized the filippines, then spanish would still be spoken! ...

Of course. It was after all chosen by the 1st Filipino republic. :) You can read more international relations news (Spain) in the International Relations thread in the News sub-forum.

Delicious filipinos, hehehe
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a325/cbuilt/product-398066.jpg

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a325/cbuilt/image_322170.jpg
ahah thats cool! so its filipino owned?

I guess it's not owned by a Filipino.

Look here (http://www.ciao.es/Filipinos_galletas_blancos__146975) they said it's really delicious.

Is the Academia a state institution? Wikipedia says so.

May lahing Kastila ba kayo? O lahing Intsik?
O di kaya lahing Amerikano? O may iba pang lahi na kalahati!!
(sa physical features)

Kung meron... post away!!
Eh kung wala... wala lang!!!

hindi ko alam noong tuta pa ako sabi nila german daw, ngayong malaki na ako bitch tawag sa akin eh. J/K.

Pero guapo ako sabi ng Nnany ko. hehehe

hindi ko alam noong tuta pa ako sabi nila german daw, ngayong malaki na ako bitch tawag sa akin eh. J/K.

Pero guapo ako sabi ng Nnany ko. hehehe
may lahing german ka?
o nagbibiro ka lang?

heres an intresting story... my grandmas dad was a spaniard. he traveled to manila from spain to do business. when world war two broke out, my great grandfather was then force by the Japanese imperial army to supply them with the products he was producing. i forgot what it was but i think it was spare parts for various machineries that japanese were using. I remember my lola told me a story during the Japs were still present in the city. This was in Manila. She tied a mickey mouse paper money "Jap peso money during the occupation" to a piece of string and left it on the middle of the street. She waited and some jap soldiers saw this. But everytime they tried to grab it, it moves... they saw the string and followed wer it came from. They saw my grandma, and one raised he's bayonet, and chased her through the streets. Then my GreatgrandPa saw this, my grandma hugging hes legs, terified. He talked to the soldiers and they were let go. The supplies was one reason that im here today. Those Japs may have killed all my family ancestors back then... well... Greatpa was married to a tagalog filipina. i dont think i asked what her background and where she came from... Im not sure how many children they had caused i never asked. But my grandma was one of them. my grandma who married my late grandpa lol... also has a very intresting story. my grandpa's father was a spanish/filipino meztiso married to a filipina... he has very light skin. White european facial features such as a very distinct headshape and cleffed chin. They lived in the visayas... their family had some big problems and when the war broke out... my grandpa decided to runaway from the family... and he ended up in the streets of manila. there he grew up and met my then grandma... and rest is history :)

kind of confusing... ehhh... i got lost there too... lol

^^Wow...at least it's more detailed than what I know about my grandparents.

oowhhh I was waiting for this kind of thread, dati nga may balak pa kami ni kuya Juan na gumawa ng thread about sa family history or something like that, pero ayun nakalimutan na hehe.

ill share mine later on...

eto sa 'kin...

may great grandpa ako na pure spanish. Isa yung composer..
May great grandma na 75% spanish.

Pagkatapos sumunod ang lolo ko na may lahing spanish.
At tsaka ang lola ko na may lahing spanish rin.

And then yung father ko at ang mga tito at tita ko. may lahing spanish.
At ang mama ko na may lahing spanish. kasi ang kanyang side ay may dugong spanish.

And then, kaming mga siblings.
Eh siyempre... May lahing spanish!!

pagkatapos, ang aking mga pamangkin... May lahing spanish!!!

so yun... half-spanish ako!!

^^ and for sure ang mga anak mo ay magkakalahing Spanish rin. :colgate:

tama ka!!

kasi, yun!! refer mo nalang sa itaas!!

pasa-pasa ang mga lahi namin!!

generation to generation!

Afro-filipino, gumamit ;lang ng papaya soap kaya pumuti. hehehe

seriously hindi ko alam, basta mother ko tisay. father ko parang java man. hehehe

ako, i have a negligible amount of spanish blood and a negligible amount of chinese blood so yun. haha. nothing special.

^^ I'm not sure...

But, my father's parents are named:

Narcisco Dela Peña

and

Fortunata Dela Peña

Hmmm...?

hmmm.. di ko alam kung paano ito sisimulan, unang-una kasi'y tila isang mahabang nobela ang kasaysayan ng aking mga ninuno, o pinagmulan, sa parehong panig (ng aking ama at aking ina).

Sa parehong panig may lahing sangley, at mistisong kastila. Ngunit higit na nakararami ang aking kaalaman ukol sa panig ng aking ama. Sa ngayon kung ang ka-anyuan ko'y titignan ay higit na mababakas ang ka-anyuang tsinoy, ngunit ako'y hindi isang tsinoy bagamat may dugong intsik ang aking mga ninuno'y kaunting dugong tsinoy nalamang siguro ang nananalaytay sakin.

itutuloy...

ako, i have a negligible amount of spanish blood and a negligible amount of chinese blood so yun. haha. nothing special.
eh, ikaw may dugong spanish at chinese?
anong dugo ang mas matimbang sa'yo?
wala lang!