CHINESE

IN
THE
PHILIPPINES
Sangley During the Spanish times, the Chinese
were called Sangleys, derived from the
terms xiang and ley meaning “traveling
merchant”.

Since Legazpi and those who succeeded him favored Sino-Philippine trade,
more trading junks from China came to the Philippines annually, bringing their
merchandise like silk, textiles, and porcelain wares.

The Chinese, who were able to learn the styles and techniques from native
craftsmen, predominantly occupied the manufacturing of carriages, stone
masonry, printing, shoemaking, and tailoring.
Silk Textiles Porcelain

Miguel López de Legazpi

He was a Spanish explorer and served as the

first governor of the Philippines, from 1565
until his death.
Governor General Gonzalo Ronquillo de Peñalosa, fourth Spanish
governor and captain-general of the Philippines from April 1580 until
his death in 1583.
In 1581, he constructed or erected a place called Parian which is the
place outside the city walls of Manila where in Chinese live, engage in
retail trade, while others invested in land.
During the Spanish period, Chinese mestizos were able to acquire land from
peasants through the pacto de retroventa. This was also known as pacto de
retro, which was a contract under which the borrower who conveyed his land to
the lender could repurchase it for the same amount of money that he had
received. Generally, the borrower could no longer pay the sum of money; thus,
the transfer of land ownership to the lender has been completed.

The Chinese in the Philippines had given valuable services to the community but
still they were not given fair treatment by the Spanish authorities, owing to their
constructive role in the economic development of the country. To discourage
Chinese immigration to the country, the Spanish authorities taxed them heavily.
They were also taxed twice the amount required of the Filipinos because they
earned more. The Spanish government encouragement the immigrants to
become agricultural laborers. Soon, the Chinese gained position in the cash-crop
economy on the provincial level.
Chinese mestizo could legally change his classification through the
dispensa de ley, which involved the transfer of his family to the tax
register of indios. The Chinese compound name was combined into
single surname, e.g., Tan Hwang Co to Tanjuangco. He wore the camisa
de chino and the top hat, a status symbol of the native principalia.
Lim-Ah-Hong. The first Chinese threat to Spanish rule in the Philippines
On November 29, 1574, he appeared in Manila Bay with 62
war junks and shiploads of farming and household goods
In Paranaque beach, Lim-Ah-Hong landed a force of 600
men under Sioco, his Japanese lieutenant.

On November 30, 1574, Sioco attacked Bagumbayan, killed

Marshal Martin de Goiti, and assaulted the city of Manila.
But the Spanish forces aided by Filipinos, drove the
invaders back to their ships

Martín de Goiti -was one of the soldiers

who accompanied the Spanish colonization of
the East Indies and the Pacific.
Lim-Ah-Hong himself led the second attack in Manila. This time, Juan
 
Salcedo has already arrived from Vigan upon knowing the previous attack
in Manila. He succeeded Goiti as marshal.
Sioco died in action while Lim-Ah-Hong retreated with his ships and men
northward, to Pangasinan. He established a colony at the mouth of Agono
River. However, Lim-Ah-Hong’s colony in the Philippines did not last
long. Marshal Salcedo with a fleet of 1,500 Filipinos and 250 Spaniards
sailed from Manila to Pangasinan and destroyed Lim-Ah-Hong’s
stronghold in Lingayen Gulf.

Lim-Ah-Hong evaded capture. He managed to escape through a man-

made canal and fled to the hills and mingled with the Igorots and
Tingguins. Then he returned to China and recognized his forces but he
was defeated by the Chinese viceroy in Frookien in a Naval battle of
Palahoan.
Juan de Salcedo was a Spanish-Mexican
conquistador. He was born in Mexico in 1549
and he was the grandson of Miguel López de
Legazpi and brother of Felipe de Salcedo.
 
The first Chinese revolt was brought about by the deep-seated suspicion
of the Spaniards.
On May 23, 1603, three Chinese mandarins arrived in Manila. They
wanted to see Chin-San (Mountain of Gold) which was believed to be in
Cavite.

In Parian, a secret plot to overthrow the Spaniards was planned under the
leadership of Eng-Kang, a rich Chinese merchant.

On October 3, 1603, they attacked Tondo and Quiapo by setting the

buildings on fire and by killing the inhabitants.
Don Luis Dasmariñas (former governor
general) from December 3,1593 to July 14,1596
and Captain Tomas Bravo de Acuña (nephew
of Governor General Acuña) led the retaliatory
attacks but they were ambushed.

However, the Chinese failed to capture the city walls because of the
Spanish, Filipino and Japanese joint forces, including friars as well as
residents of the area. The Chinese rebels retreated to the hills of San
Pablo, Laguna, but they were defeated by the forces led by Cristobal
de Axqueta Monchaca.
In 1639, the Chinese revolted for the second time. This was caused by
Governor General Sebastian Hurtado de Concuera’s order forcing
the Chinese to work in Calamba, Laguna. The Chinese denounced the
abuses committed by Spanish tribute collectors.
On November 19, 1639, hostilities begun in Calamba and it spread to
other towns killing several Spanish friars, including the acalde mayor of
Laguna, Marcos Zapata.

Governor General Sebastian Hurtado de Concuera’s

In the early part of 1662, Koxinga (real name was Cheng Cheng-
kung) was able to take Taiwan from Dutch. He sent Fr. Victorio
Ricci to Manila, to extend his directive for tribute from the
Spanish authorities. This infuriated Governor General Manrique
de Lara and thus he prepared to drive out all Chinese residents in
the country

Koxinga or Cheng Ch'eng-kung

The fourth Chinese revolt (1686) was planned by Tingco, a Chinese
ex-convict. He was desperate to raise money to return to China. He
tried to burn the city of Manila and to loot the churches. His group of
rebels attacked in August, starting at the Parian, in the house of Don
Diego Vivien, the alcalde mayor. The government forces arrived and
routed them. Tingco was caught and executed.

To put an end to possible Chinese insurrection in the country, the

governor in 1729 ordered that all unbaptized Chinese in Manila were to
reside in the Parian. The baptized ones had to reside in Binondo and
Sta. Cruz.
However, when the British came and occupied Manila in 1762, the Chinese
collaborated with them to fight the Spaniards. The Chinese in Manila as well as the
Chinese in Guagua, Pampanga secretly plotted to massacre the Spaniards on Christmas
Eve, December 24, 1762. on of the plotters happened to reveal the plot to his Filipino
sweetheart. The latter relayed the news to Fr. Jose Salas, the parish priest of Mexico,
Pampanga.

Governor General Simon de Anda who was

informed of this plot, led his forces to Guagua
on December 20 and crushed the Chinese rebels.
This bloody confrontation was considered in
Philippine history as the “Red Christmas.”