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The author at
a Beijing Art
Zone.
My Extraordinary
Beijing Experience
By Mary Grace D. Khu
Chiang Kai Shek College/Chinoy TV
Photos by: 夏波光 (Xia Boguang)
W
hen asked what my goals or
dreams in life are, I would always
include this statement in my
answer, “Go around the world.”
Exploring
wonderful
places,
understanding different cultures and meeting new
people are some of the reasons why I really want to
go around the world. The first time I travelled out of
the country was in 2012 when I went to Singapore.
Definitely, that first time experience will forever be
memorable. It made me want to travel more and
continue to know how it is outside the Philippines.
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Music has also always been a big part of my life. Since I
was young, I started singing and joined lots of contests
whether in school or with other schools. Definitely,
there were heartaches when I did not perform well,
but there were also triumphs that I will always be
thankful of. Having started with small contests in the
school where I learned the basics of singing and stage
performance and continued to interschool competitions
where I further developed my confidence and people
skills, it never came across my mind that this passion
would bring me somewhere I thought would only be
possible in my dreams.
Recently, I got the opportunity to travel to
Beijing, China and it’s not just a tour, but for
a competition, the Watercube Cup Overseas
Chinese Youth Singing Competition. It was
so exciting knowing those two things I love
most, travelling and singing, awaited me in
China’s premier city. I can firmly say that the
opportunity was the result of many years of
patience and hard work.
(Upper photo) Competing. (Lower photo)
With cousin Jason Khu and fellow
participants at the Bird’s Nest Olympic
Stadium in Beijing.
In 2012, I joined the same contest but
unfortunately did not make it. The next
year, I was blessed to be part of the top 5 and
this year came the unexpected blessing of
being the grand champion in the Philippine
elimination rounds, and so earned the honor
of representing the country in the grand
finals in Beijing. What’s more exciting
was that the one who bagged the second
place was my cousin, Jason Khu. It was a
perfect time for us to bond more and have
fun together with my mom who accompanied
us to Beijing. Being a pure blooded ethnic
Chinese or huaqiao living in the Philippines, I
always considered going to China a privilege.
A chance to get to know where my ancestors
came from and this makes my being Chinese
more authentic.
The three weeks we stayed in Beijing were
indeed extraordinary and so jam-packed that
it seemed that we accomplished activities
that were good for a month. Singing, dancing,
acting, visiting tourist spots, and many
more fruitful activities were lined up for the
participants. We stayed in Jing Lun Hotel,
located in China Business District or CBD as
they call it there. The weather was somewhat
like here in the Philippines and the busy
streets reminded me of our very own Makati.
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SPECIAL FEATURE
I am proud and happy to say that in the
competition, I gained a bunch of new amazing
friends. Having 55 contestants from 23 countries
was a wonderful opportunity to bond and share
different cultures with one another. I realized
how important it was to really have a good grasp
of the Chinese language.
It was amazing that majority of the contestants
knew Mandarin so well even though they didn’t
really look like Chinese at all. There was a certain
“click” or immediate connection since there was a
common language that made it easier for us to
know each other better. The organizers, mentors,
staff, and crew of the entire production team were
very accommodating and very hospitable as well.
The staff from the TV stations interviewed each contestant
for purposes of contest documentation. They asked what
we felt about the contest, what we know about China, why
we joined the competition, and many more questions. I was
surprised but at the same time felt lucky to be selected as
one of the interviewees of China’s major TV station CCTV
4, for a feature about ethnic Chinese all over the world.
About the competition itself, the first part was the audition round for all the 55
contestants. I sang a 汪峰 (Wang Feng) song entitled “存在 ” (To Survive) via 邓紫棋
(Deng Ziqi) version in China’s “I am a Singer.” Everyone was so tense and excited for
the results of round one, and to find out who will get to the top 30.
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(Photos) Around Beijing
with mom Mely Khu and
cousin Jason Khu.
I was blessed to be part of the top 30 and
proceeded to the live contest. Round two
was tougher than I expected. There were
three judges and they turned on their
lights to blue or red to indicate whether
the contestant who just performed will
get into the final round or not. Three blue
lights meant you are automatically part
of the top 10 but if you got three or two
red lights, it meant your journey ended at
round two. There were also contestants
who were waitlisted. Like in my case, I
got two blue lights and one red light with
the song 你是爱我的 (You Do Love Me).
Me, together with three other contestants,
got waitlisted and went through the
audience voting system. Unfortunately,
my audience votes were not enough
for me to go into the top 10, but I was
still grateful for the rare experience of
singing at such a high level, for such a
wide audience, as the competition was
broadcasted live on TV.
As part of our activities, some of us
visited BTV or Beijing TV station where
we had our recording sessions. They also
divided the contestants into small groups
for some video shoot of different activities
like making moon cakes, learning tongue
twisters, etc. The group I belonged to had
the chance to engage in a very interesting
activity—learning to cook authentic
Peking Duck, one of the most popular
Chinese foods.
There were other classes that made me
learn more about Chinese culture and
arts like wushu, jing ju or traditional
chinese dance, and chinese theater face
painting. Aside from the contest and
travels we had, a memorable thing was
using chopsticks during lunch and dinner.
Simple as it may seem, it is a must for
ethnic Chinese to be familiar on how to
use chopsticks. Shopping at Wang Fu
Jing, Silk Street, 798, and other famous
shopping districts in Beijing was also a
perfect time for the contestants to hang
out. Of course, the trip won’t be complete
without a visit to famous landmarks in
China like the Watercube, Bird’s Nest,
and the Great Wall. The feel was so
grand since before I only get to see these
places on TV or photos, but the trip gave
me the chance to experience these tourist
destinations first hand.
No words can explain how thankful I am
for the support my family and friends
gave me during the competition. My
sincere appreciation also goes to those
who organized the Philippine elimination
rounds, my colleagues in different
organizations and friends who showered
me with their support and trust, my
teacher and trainer who was so dedicated
in imparting her knowledge to me and
to my family, my parents who were my
source of motivation and inspiration. The
Beijing experience would not have been
fruitful and meaningful without them.
(Upper photo) Trying her hand at slicing Peking
duck. (Lower photo) With other contestants.
Now, I still keep in touch with the other
contestants who became my friends via
different social networking sites like
Facebook, We Chat, and Instagram. It felt
so great reminiscing all the things that
happened back in Beijing by looking at
photos and watching video clips shared
and posted online. We started as strangers,
evolved into friends and family sharing
many happy memories. Lastly, I am very
proud to say that I got the opportunity
to represent Philippines in a high level
international singing competition. It was
a one in a million experience that I will
always treasure.
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Becoming
a Writer
By Joni Cham
T
here were no writers in my family. No artists,
no patrons of the arts even. My grandfather was
a poor Chinese immigrant struggling to build a
better life for his family than the one he escaped
from as a very young man. With a baby on the
way almost every other year, he worked hard to provide for
his rapidly growing family. Despite the cost, he sent all his
children to a Chinese school where they were given halfscholarships. Each semester, he would troop to the registrar
to ask for an extension for the half-tuition he still could
not pay on time. My father was the only one of eight who
eventually finished a degree.
Early on we were taught to be practical. Nothing was ever
to be wasted, not food, not paper or pencils, not money. No
ballet and piano lessons for the little girls in contrast to other
families rising to middle-class because these cost money and
would not earn money in return. Instead we were told again
and again to study.
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Joni with friend Rowena
Roxas, with a copy of her
novel In My Mother’s
House.
Nothing was ever to be as important
as finishing school. Art was a luxury
we chose not to afford.
Similarly, except for those being
used in school, there were not
very many books in our house. My
first non-school book (and my only
one for a very long time) was the
fairy tale “The Shoemaker and the
Elves” I got as a present from my
aunt one Christmas. Until now, I
still have a soft spot for that kind
shoemaker and his wife, and those
two hardworking elves. We were not
only discouraged, but not allowed
to buy books not intended for class.
Reading them were also frowned
upon because time spent reading
non-school books meant time stolen
away from proper education. It was
quite unlikely that I would end up
a writer.
I loved stories. Ever since I could
remember, I was curious about what
happened to whom, why she would
do that, how did he become that way,
and then what? My favorite Batibot
segment was when Kuya Bodjie
would tell a story, his eyes wide, his
many voices representing different
characters. I loved words and how
they could be molded this way and
that, and either gifted or meted
out just so. I knew instinctively
that words posses power always
just beyond my grasp, and I would
measure them as precisely as I
could, but still come up short.
It was a hunger I needed to feed and
I would read anything I could get my
hands on, randomly: newspapers,
cereal boxes, old issues of Reader’s
Digest, other people’s personal
letters… I was giddy when I first
discovered the library when I was in
Grade 4, and could not quite believe
it when I found out that I could take
books home. And then there were the
pocketbooks borrowed from friends
and classmates, read on the sly: in
between covers of a textbook, under
the blanket with a flashlight, in the
bathroom.
I must have hyperventilated
when I first stepped foot
in my university library. I
did not even know where to
begin. That sudden daze and
exhilaration must be very
similar to how a mosquito
feels in a nude camp. I became
a regular in the Filipiniana
section of the library, because
I realized just how lacking my reading of
Philippine Literature was, and because I
could not get enough of stories so familiar
to my own experiences that I could almost
touch them: Kerima Polotan-Tuvera,
Carmen Guerrero-Nakpil, Gilda CorderoFernando, Cristina Pantoja-Hidalgo,
Gregorio Brilliantes, NVM Gonzalez. And
as if these were not enough, I came across
Charlson Ong, Paul Stephen Lim, Jaime
An Lim… I finally understood what
it meant by “writing what you know,”
a constant refrain in workshops and
writing lectures. It felt so painfully like
coming home.
By then, I knew my fate was
sealed. I knew I wanted to
live a life filled with words. In
one way or another, I would
consume and be consumed
by literature. It would be
futile to resist. And there
would always be stories in
me waiting to be written, the
words molded and measured
just so. But even then, they
would never quite capture
what I set off to write, so
I would begin the process
anew. And so I would live
a life in a constant state of
hyper-awareness. I have
chosen to be a writer. There
is no other way.
With hubby
Gordon
Cheung and
National Artist
for Literature
Bienvenido
Lumbera.
Joni Cham is the author of the novel In My Mother’s
House, which was a finalist for the National Book Award in
2013 and won the Special Jury Prize in the novel category
of Premio Tomas: UST Quadricentennial Literary Prize.
Copies of her novel are available in all Central Books
outlets nationwide. She blogs at www.soyoufound.me.
NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2014 | NIN HAO | 9
COMMUNITY NEWS
CEU students
take HSK
S
elected students of Centro Escolar
University (CEU) - Malolos Campus were granted
the opportunity to take the Chinese Proficiency Test, also
known as HSK (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi), in the middle of
October at the Confucius Institute (CI) of Bulacan State University. It
was the first time for a non-Chinese and non-CI affiliated university to
take the certification exam for non-native speakers.
The students took Level 1 of HSK, and the passing rate was 100 percent.
With the permission of CEU Malolos Vice President Dr. Ma. Flordeliza
Anastacio and with the backing of College of Education, Liberal
Arts, and Science Dean Dr. Elizabeth Roces, and CEU International
Languages Head Dr. Arlene Opina, expressed full support to the
initiative of Raymond Tan Frias, an instructor at the CEU Malolos. The
undertaking was also made possible with the support of Bulacan State
University led by its president Dr. Mariano De Jesus, Vice President
for External Affairs Dr. Cecilia Geronimo, and the Chinese Director of
the Confucius Institute in the university, Dr. Li Yanchuan.
Chinese language is taught at CEU as a foreign language, which is
a course requirement for almost all of the bachelor degrees in the
university, and students are mandated to take and pass lessons in
Chinese language, culture, and history for two semesters. Taking
the HSK is not compulsory in the university’s course syllabus, but
Frias believes the students need it to gauge their Chinese language
proficiency. Frias also wants his students to master the Chinese
language, a factor that could make them globally competitive.
Frias also plans to arrange a MOA between CEU and the Confucius
Institute of Bulacan State University to hold the test in CEU every
semester so that all students studying Chinese in the university’s
Malolos campus can have the chance to take and pass the HSK.
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In photo is Chinese language instructor Raymond Tan
Frias, 3rd from left, and some students.
PHILIPPINE PHARMACY
SUMMIT TO BE HELD
W
ith the theme “Realizing the Roadmap: The
Filipino Pharmacist in the Asean Community”, the
3rd Philippine Pharmacy Summit is slated to be
held February 15, 2015 at the National Institute of Physics
Auditorium, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon
City.
The summit is being organized by the University of the
Philippines Pharmaceutical Association (UPPhA), the
official democratic organization of students at the UP
Manila College of Pharmacy. UPPhA carries out projects
that promote academic excellence, foster holistic individual
growth, and stimulate positive societal impacts.
Renowned and accomplished speakers from different
Southeast Asian nations have been invited to discuss the
numerous practices and opportunities that await the ASEAN
pharmacist and the pharmaceutical industry in a single
integrated market in 2015. Local and international delegates
will also be able to peruse the numerous drug researches
from different pharmacy schools all over the country. About
300 to 400 local and foreign delegates are expected to
attend the summit.
The Philippine Pharmacy Summit serves as a platform
for information exchange in drug research and
discovery, intellectual discussions on the recent shifts in
pharmaceutical trends, and camaraderie development
within the pharmaceutical community.
This year, the Philippine Pharmacy Summit aims to expand
its horizon to include the ASEAN community in its endeavor.
Interested parties may contact
Blesille Valencia (0917 504 9547),
or philippinepharmacysummit@
NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2014 | NIN HAO | 11
gmail.com.
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Aside from being an athlete, model, TV
host and an entrepreneur, what else
keeps you busy these days?
Gretchen
Ho:
The face of the modern
Chinoy youth.
CHInoy TV CEO Alvin Kingson Tan calls her the
“modern representation of the Chinoy youth.” That
title would have intimidated anyone. But Gretchen
Ho seems undaunted by it. In fact, she sees this
as an opportunity to bridge the gap between the
two generations, and to show a side of the Chinese
culture in a fresher perspective. After all, when you
are an athlete, TV personality, model, entrepreneur,
and motivational speaker, that title is just another
thing you tucked under your belt; and carry it with
finesse and grace.
Thankfully, despite her hectic schedule, she was
gracious enough to squeeze an interview for Nin Hao.
Aside from being an athlete, model, TV host and an entrepreneur,
what else keeps you busy these days?
I guess you listed it all. I have been playing for Petron for the Philippines Super
Liga. Right now I’m focusing on that one. Aside from that I also host for ABSCBN Sports in Action, and then for CHInoy TV. On the side, I also host events.
I do talks around school. Usually it is about inspiration; about sports and fitness.
Usually, un ung line ko. Last would be my business, The Inspired Project. We sell
inspirational merchandises.
I get tired just hearing what you do. How do you even get these
done?
It’s just a matter of putting the right things at the right places. First of all, that
is knowing your priority. My priority right now is hosting and playing. Pag may
opportunity na pumapasok sakin, yes ako agad.
I guess you listed it all. I have been playing
for Petron for the Philippines Super Liga.
Right now I’m focusing on that one.
Aside from that I also host for ABS-CBN
Sports in Action, and then for CHInoy
TV. On the side, I also host events. I do
talks around schools. Usually it is about
inspiration; about sports and fitness.
Usually, yun yung line ko. Last would
be my business, The Inspired Project. We
sell inspirational merchandises.
I get tired just hearing what you do. How
do you even get these done?
It’s just a matter of putting the right
things at the right places. First of all,
that is knowing your priority. My priority
right now is hosting and playing. Pag
may opportunity na pumapasok sa ‘kin,
yes ako agad.
Inspired Project is the first of its kind. Can
you tell us more about your business?
Inspired Project is not just a business. It
is also an advocacy. We want to empower
people to live out their passion. We want
a community that empowers each other
instead of a community that brings down
others when they become successful; and
to also provide an avenue for people to
showcase their talents.
What “inspired” you to launch the
Inspired Project?
It all started when I was an athlete back
in Ateneo. I love listening to music every
time I jog. I would get to short phrases
from the motivational songs and tweet
them. Sayang yung line. I don’t want it
to go to waste. I have to remember these
lines that caught me at that moment so I
tweet them. Then daming nagre-retweet.
I was inspired by those lines, and as I get
inspired, other people get inspired too
when I tweet them. Sometimes, I make
my own lines also.
Care to share one with us?
Dare to dream and make it happen. Ito pa
din yung pinakamabentang design kahit
na marami na kaming designs.
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”
Inspired Project is
not just a business.
It is also an
advocacy.
”
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How has studying in a Chinese school helped you for
college and ultimately, in the real world?
I am proud to come from ICA. ICA taught me to always go
beyond what I can do, and they always pushed us to the
limit. When I got to Ateneo, it wasn’t that hard for me to
adjust anymore. It was actually much lighter. I had this
mindset to aim for more than average. Malaking bagay
yung hindi ako nagse-settle for ‘okay lang’. I was always
aiming for more, which allows me to see opportunities in
different things.
In the Chinese side, what I got was the practicality.
Yung thriftiness mindset, to value every peso. At the
same time, be generous with other people because the
Chinese naman marunong magbigay.
How would you describe the modern Chinoy youth?
The Chinese Filipinos now are not brought up to be
strictly Chinese anymore. Even if that is the case, we
still have an inclination with our culture in terms of our
attitude like being frugal, with how we treat our parents.
Given that, how do you now feel being part of CHInoy TV?
Natutuwa ako na I’m given this chance to go back to my
roots. I’m giving it a second look. Ano ba yung Chinese
culture? Ano yung maa-appreciate ko dito? Ano yung namiss out ko? Hopefully I can bring that to the audience
so that they would see the Chinese culture in a fresher
perspective. Yung mga bata since may generation gap,
hindi na sila maka-relate. Hopefully I will be able to
bridge that gap. It’s like we can look at it this way so
makaka-relate yung mga mas bata.
What can the viewers of CHInoy TV expect from you?
With that, first of all, expect me to try my best to learn
the language, to go back to it, to master it. Second, expect
me to be youthful on the show. I want to bring more fun
to the show. Gusto ko bigyan ng saya. We have a very
rich culture and I want to bring that to the audience.
”
Hopefully I can
bring that to the
audience so that
they would see the
Chinese culture in a
fresher perspective.
”
And lastly, expect me to introduce the Chinese culture
even to the Filipinos for them to appreciate our culture
more.
Judging from Ho’s creativity, motivation and dedication
in bringing out the best in the Chinese culture; and
sharing this with with Chinoys and non-Chinoys, there
is no other person more apt in carrying that mantle.
NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2014 | NIN HAO | 15
An Afternoon with
Amy Tan
One of the most popular and best-selling ChineseAmerican writers talks about inspiration, the writing
process, and handling success and criticism.
interview by jesser eullo & Chinoy tv
A
my Tan was 37 when her first book The Joy Luck
Club was published in 1989 about the relationships
of four Chinese immigrant mothers and their
American-born daughters. She confessed that the
stories were inspired by her relationship with her mother and
the stories and secrets her mother has left behind in China
when she immigrated to the United States. Since then, the
stories in her books have resonated to a lot of people.
Amy Tan also wrote the New York Times bestselling novels
The Kitchen God’s Wife and The Hundred Secret Senses, and
her new 2013 novel The Valley of Amazement. Those novels
have been translated into 35 languages, including Chinese.
Nin Hao and CHInoy TV got the chance to have a short chat
with Amy Tan during her Manila visit for the first Philippine
Literary Festival. The three-day Philippine Literary Festival
was held on October 23-25 at the Raffles Makati, and was
organized by National Book Store.
You said in an interview that “Stories women write have
something to do with the hidden part of their lives.” How
much of this hidden part influenced your books?
Amy Tan: The emotional parts of the past are certainly there
and sometimes the facts of secrets have been altered a little.
My mother, for example, left three daughters behind in China
when she immigrated into the United States, but she did not
leave twin babies on the side of the road, and I’ve had people
ask me “How are those twin girls?” But my uncle did leave a
child on the side of the road with a poor farmer family during
16 | NIN HAO | NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2014
the time when he had to flee the Japanese—he and his wife.
So there are bits and pieces that are based on truth. There was
another one in which my mother had arranged marriage with
a rather abusive husband and he shows up a little bit in the
stories as well. There was also the death of my grandmother
from suicide. I didn’t know exactly the circumstances of her
death. So that’s been changed a little in the stories, but again
it’s the power of the secret, that feelings that she carried into
her life despite having left the past behind.
Because writers most often take inspiration from
pain for their stories, have you ever experienced being
stuck and couldn’t continue on writing because that
particular story is too painful because it hit close to
reality?
Amy Tan: I think it’s almost that the pain becomes
unbearable when you can’t express it, and I think that
was true with my mother and when I was writing out, as
it’s coming out when something very painful comes out and
there’s a realization of what it is. It’s actually liberating.
So I have never had a problem just continuing with that. I
always think it’s good for me to find the source of the greatest
conflict, the most difficult, uncomfortable parts of my life, the
questions and dig into that.
What does writing mean to you now? Do you still care for
what is more commercially successful?
Amy Tan: It makes it I think more challenging to block
out the distractions of consumer part of publishing. But
I’ve had 25 years of practice in trying to shut that out and
NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2014 | NIN HAO | 17
maintaining what I’ve set out for myself about 30
years ago and that was to understand what the
importance of writing is for me, and the meaning
of it so that I would not divert myself from that
meaning and head toward commercial success
which then would lose the meaning for me. I ask
myself these questions at the end of my life, if there
is such a thing as heaven or whatever, who would
you want to see at the end of your life? Your mother
or your book critic? And the answer is pretty clear
there. And the kind of personal satisfaction that I
get during the writing of the book is so intense and
constant. The art of pleasing an audience or critics
is something that you don’t have control of. You can
think that you are writing for commercial success
and then it would fail, and so where would you be?
So over the 25 years that I’ve been published have
been clear with me without having to struggle with
the commercial success. I always say to myself
could be that next year, none of my books sell, not
even one copy. And I have to know the meaning
of it and just be—you know it’ll hurt a little but I
could survive that.
How do you like your books to be remembered?
Amy Tan: You know it’s an interesting question
about books being remembered whether I’m
associated with that remembrance and that’s
another thing I tell myself that I am not writing
for my future memory. If people forget me then,
that’s okay too, that part of the meaning again
is the here and now and it’s very personal. But
if it does get remembered, I hope that somebody
reads it in the future they enjoy it for one thing.
And if some of the issues are not there whether if
it’s conflicts young people have with their mothers
or with mothers have with their daughters that it
might be looked upon as a period of change, and
they would see that changes in culture over that
time. But you know, you can never predict what
people could get out of it. And I just hope that in
some parts of it as they read it, they can have some
humor as well and looking at evidence at what they
have gone through.
Rebecca Shangkuan did the theater adaptation
of The Joy Luck Club and she played the
mother Suyuan Woo. In the future, do you have
plans to tie up with stage for more plays and
more films for your other books?
Amy Tan: Well, I hope somebody else will take
the books and do adaptations. I will be sticking to
writing the fiction but it’s been wonderful to have a
play, movie, cartoon series, and opera.
18 | NIN HAO | NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2014
Do you have any message for the ChineseFilipinos?
Amy Tan: I am so amazed and surprised to find
out how many Chinese people are in the Philippines
and that the culture of both—having an American
background here in the Philippines and the Chinese
mix that community so much like the AmericanChinese community in the States. And because my
background is also Shanghainese—my mother’s
background—you know I’m just saying, “Hi extended
family, nice to meet you!”
How about to the young writers, particularly
the young Chinese-Filipino writers?
Amy Tan: You know it’s even more difficult than it
is in the States to get heard as a writer outside of a
certain community. You know I asked myself after
learning more about the Philippines and finding
out that so many of the writers here they write in
English and the books are really about interesting
stories that are relevant to many people and why
aren’t they able to be exported to other countries
and over to the United States. So my message would
be to keep writing, despite these difficulties because
sometimes you don’t know when breakthroughs are
going to happen. That was true with me. People said
they were surprised with what happened with this
book. So write the story that is important to you so
that even if what you dream on the other end of it
publishing doesn’t happen, it still was worthwhile
to you.
Right photo: Amy Tan signs
books after the interview, with
the latest Nin Hao issue on the
desk.
bottom photo: Amy Tan
with Nin Hao editors Bingle
Chuidian and Jesser Eullo
and theater maven Rebecca
Shangkuan, who played Suyuan
Woo in the theater adaptation of
The Joy Luck Club.
Photo from L-R
Nin Hao editors Bingle Chuidian and Jesser Eullo with writer Danton
Remoto, Bingle Chuidian with Jessica Zafra, and Bingle Chuidian and Jesser
Eullo with National Artist for Literature Bienvenido Lumbera during the
Philippine Literary Festival.
NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2014 | NIN HAO | 19
First Metro Securities wins the
PSE Bell Awards 2014
F
irst Metro Securities Brokerage Corporation, a member of the Metrobank
Group, was given the distinction of being one of the three Large Trading
Participants to win in the Philippine Stock Exchange’s Bell Awards 2014.
The event was held on November 10 at the Makati Shangri-la Hotel.
The Bell Awards, which has been organized by the PSE since 2011, recognizes
listed companies and brokerage firms for their excellence in adhering to high
standards of corporate governance. These firms had to go through the regulatory
screening processes by the PSE and a careful selection by a panel of judges, with
head judge Securities and Exchange Commission chairperson Teresita Herbosa,
judges British Ambassador Asif Ahmad, Camarines Sur 3rd District Rep. Maria
Leonor Robredo, Capital Markets Integrity Corp. president Cornelio Guison, and
College of St. Benilde president Brother Dennis Magbanua.
PSE honors trading participants with good compliance record, effective
organizational structure and sound internal controls. The other winners from
the Large Trading Participants were Maybank ATR Kim Eng Securities and
Deutsche Regis Partners.
First Metro Securities Brokerage Corporation is the stockbrokerage arm of First
Metro Investment Corporation and a licensed trading participant in the Philippine
Stock Exchange. It offers an online trading platform that provides convenient access
to the listed securities of the PSE, coupled with timely and accurate market research,
client support, and investor education programs.
20 | NIN HAO | NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2014
NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2014 | NIN HAO | 21
#MADE30: METROBANK FOUNDATION
AWARDS FUTURE ART AND DESIGN MASTERS
O
n its milestone anniversary,
the Metrobank Art & Design
Excellence (MADE) celebrated
30 years of artistic excellence
by recognizing this year’s newest set
of young artists and designers in an
Awarding Ceremony held on September
18 at Le Pavillon in Pasay City.
Ambassador Asif Ahmad of the United
Kingdom and Tootsy Angara graced
the evening as the Guests of Honor and
joined senior officers of the Metrobank
Foundation Inc. (MBFI) in recognizing
and presenting this year’s winners.
Esteemed members of the art circle,
academe, business, cultural institutions,
and the diplomatic corps also attended
the event.
22 | NIN HAO | NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2014
The Grand Prize Winners in the Painting
Competition are The Extraordinary
Manifestation of Something Undeniably
Possible by Sergio Bumatay III and Ang
Paraiso Nagsiksikan at Pinatong-patong
(Overcrowded, Topsy-Turvy Paradise) by
Wilbert Custodio for the Oil on Canvas
Category, while John Verlyn Santos’s
Pinagtapi-tagping Kapalaran (Patches
of Fate) received the Grand Prize for
the Water Media category. The Special
Citation recognition went to Ronson
Culibrina for his Oil on Canvas piece
La Laguna Estigia Interviente: Human
Starvation by and Don Bryan Michael
Bunag for his Water Media piece By the
River of Fate.
Taking home the Grand Prize in the
Sculpture Competition is Natalio Alob
Jr. for his work Storm Surge while Arnel
David Garcia’s Facets of One Tragedy”
takes the Special Citation recognition.
Architect duo Arch. Joel Anthony Ong
and Arch. Melissa Mateo bag the Grand
Prize in the Architecture Competition
for their design concept #StartUP while
Arch. Laurence Angelo Angeles and Arch.
Marinel Seiga receive Special Citation for
their concept Bababa ba? Bababa.
The design concept Edge of High by
interior designer IDr. Rowena Garcia
receives the Grand Prize in the Interior
Design Competition, while IDr. Iben
Amper takes the Special Citation for his
concept, Bale.
#MADE30: AWARDING
FUTURE ART AND
DESIGN
MASTERS
− Winners of the 2014
Metrobank Art & Design
Excellence (MADE) National
Competition
in
Painting,
Sculpture, Interior Design, and
Architecture were recognized
in an awarding ceremony held
last 18 September at the Le
Pavillon, Pasay City.
Ambassador Asif Ahmad (center)
of the United Kingdom and Tootsy
Angara (3rd from right) graced the
event as the Guests of Honor. This
year’s winners were presented by
Metrobank Group Chairman Dr.
George S.K. Ty (center), Metrobank
Group Vice Chairman Dr. Antonio
S. Abacan Jr. (leftmost), Metrobank
Vice
Chairman
Francisco
Sebastian (2nd from left), Federal
Land President Alfred Ty (2nd from
right), Metrobank President Fabian
Dee (rightmost), and Metrobank
Foundation
President
Aniceto
Sobrepeña (3rd from left).
Apart from the awarding ceremony,
MADE also launched the MADE Art
Criticism Competition for young writers
wherein they are encouraged to creatively
express their understanding of art pieces
through the language of art criticism. The
winner of the competition will be awarded
the Alice Guillermo Award, named after
art criticism pioneer and Palanca awardee
Alice Guerrero Guillermo. The winner of
the competition will also receive 30,000
pesos, and the winning essay will be
published in Art+ Philippines magazine.
Finally, the night capped off with the
unveiling of two special exhibits: the
Dream Kite Exhibition and MADE
Retrospective Exhibition. As a takeoff
from Metrobank Foundation’s 35th
anniversary
celebration
Launching
Dreams, the Dream Kite Exhibition
showcased kite-shaped artworks made by
former MADE winners which were put up
for sale.
Proceeds from the Dream Kite Exhibition
will support Project HeART, the art
psychosocial intervention program of
the MADE-Network of Winners (MADEN.O.W.), the alumni organization of
past MADE awardees. The MADE
Retrospective Exhibit featured 30 select
artworks representing the competition’s
30-year history, allowing the audience
to appreciate these artworks and relate
them to the cultural and socio-political
events of the time.
MBFI President Aniceto Sobrepeña
explains that MADE has expanded into
other artistic interventions.
“For many years, MADE was seen
primarily as one of the country’s premiere
art and design competitions. Each year,
expectations were set higher. There was
a challenge to distinguish ourselves
from other competitions. This would
come naturally as a by-product of who
we intrinsically are in the Metrobank
Foundation. We are a development
organization invested in nation building.
Our art engagement is envisioned to
articulate something of our national
identity,” said Sobrepeña.
Now on its 30th year, MADE is the
pioneering art and design competition
of MBFI established in 1984. Over the
years, it has recognized art masters.
MADE started as a painting competition
in 1984 which later expanded its scope
to recognize creative works in sculpture,
architecture, and interior design. With
the inclusion of architecture and interior
design competitions, MADE has honored
excellent works of architects Noel Tan,
Michael Peña, Jericho Adriano, John
David O’Yek, and Angelo Mañosa, as well
as that of interior designers Marybeth
Tabaquin, Jasmine O’yek Sy, Wilhelmina
Garcia, April Frigillana, and Karina
Diana Cortez.
NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2014 | NIN HAO | 23
Metrobank Founder Dr. George S.K. Ty
honored by Chiang Kai Shek College
M
etrobank founder and Group Chairman
Dr. George S.K. Ty received a Lifetime
Achievement Award from Chiang Kai Shek
College (CKSC) during its 75th Anniversary
celebration on October 28th at the SMX Convention
Center. Dr. Ty, who attended high school in CKSC, was
recognized for his advocacy towards improving the quality
of Philippine education and his numerous contributions to
educational institutions in the country.
Dr. Ty, who migrated to the Philippines in his youth,
recognized the value of his high school education as a
key to his success in both his business and philanthropic
endeavors. “My years in this school have enabled me to
learn many lessons about myself and my environment
that I carry up to today. Foremost is the keen sense of
appreciation of my family roots as an overseas Chinese,” Dr.
Ty said through his son and Federal Land President Alfred
Ty, who delivered the speech to the CKSC community on
his behalf.
Appreciative of his Chinese heritage, Dr. Ty also
highlighted the key role of education in his desire to go
back to his roots as often as he could. “I learned in school
the richness of Chinese culture and the greatness of the
Chinese spirit. My sense of achievement was developed,
and early in life, I envisioned myself to become a
successful businessman with honor. And even if I have
taken residence in the Philippines, I make it a point to
spend considerable time, at least one week in a month,
in Shanghai.”
Dr. Ty also reiterated the need for building relationships
through the use of language, especially that Metrobank
has branches in major Chinese-language cities like Hong
Kong, Taipei, Nanjing, Xiamen, Shanghai, and Beijing.
“In high school, I learned the correct way of writing and
speaking Mandarin. Up to this day, even if I use English
in the workplace, I still make it a point to converse or
talk in Mandarin.”
Dr. Ty also shared how he developed his love for art
through his education. “In school, I read about the great
Chinese painters. Over time, I learned to appreciate the
beauty of their artworks. Thus, I have collected a number
of Chinese paintings, both traditional and contemporary.
Friends have remarked that I would probably belong to
the top 10 collectors of Chinese paintings in the whole of
Dr. George S. K. Ty’s second son, Federal Land President Alfred Ty, receives the award
from CKSC Chairman of the Board of Trustees Allen Roxas and CKSC President Dr. Dory
Poa. Also in photo are Ambassador Zhao Jianhua of the People’s Republic of China, CKSC
Alumni Association President Philip Chan, and other awardees.
24
24 || NIN
NIN HAO
HAO || NOVEMBER
NOVEMBER -- DECEMBER
DECEMBER 2014
2014
in school
“theI learned
richness of
Chinese culture and the greatness of the Chinese spirit. My
sense of achievement
was developed,
and early in life, I
envisioned myself to
become a successful
businessman with honor.
”
China.” Dr. Ty, through the Metrobank Foundation,
went on to establish the annual Metrobank Art and
Design Excellence (MADE) competition in 1984. Now
on its 30th year, MADE has become the breeding
ground for 391 exemplary Filipino artists and
designers such as Elmer Borlongan, Noell El Farol,
Mark Justiniani, Leeroy New, and Ronald Ventura.
Dr. Ty’s advocacy for better education in the
country began with his pioneering of the Search
for Outstanding Teachers (SOT) also in 1984. This
came with the intention of uplifting the conditions
of Filipino teachers, who then were in a neglected
state despite their key role in the development of
the Filipino youth. SOT has become the premiere
recognition program for Filipino educators across all
levels nationwide.
His advocacy for education can also be seen in the
Metrobank Group’s partnership with the Manila
Tytana Colleges, which offers nursing, tourism, and
business courses, to name a few. Formerly known as
Manila Doctors College, the school was renamed in
honor of Doña Victoria Tytana, Dr. Ty’s mother.
Dr. Ty established the Foundation as the corporate
social responsibility arm of the Metrobank Group
of Companies in January 1979, just over 16 years
after the bank’s establishment. Taking on from
Metrobank’s success, Dr. Ty made it a point to
practice his belief that leadership in business should
translate into leadership in community service. It
was important for Dr. Ty to give back for he owes his
success to the country that his business serves.
NOVEMBER -- DECEMBER
DECEMBER 2014
2014 || NIN
NIN HAO
HAO || 25
25
NOVEMBER
MADE of GOLD
T
wins Best Design at the
33rd National Book Awards
he Metrobank Foundation
Inc. (MBFI)’s first art
coffee table book, MADE
of GOLD bagged the
top prize under the Best Design
category at the 33rd National
Book Awards (NBA) organized by
the National Book Development
Board and the Manila Critics
Circle. Dubbed as the “gold
seal of excellence in writing and
publishing books”, the National
Book Awards was established
in 1982 to recognize “the best
books written, designed, and
published in the country” and to
“build a culture of reading and
authorship.”
MADE of GOLD chronicles the
almost
three-decade
history
of the Metrobank Art & Design
Excellence (MADE) competition.
Written by acclaimed art critic
Cid Reyes, the book documents
the significance of MADE in
the Philippine art scene and its
involvement in uplifting Philippine
culture and art for nation-building.
The 252-page book features, in
full color and gold-gilded edges,
the winning artworks and designs
since 1984 until 2011―140
paintings, 12 sculptures, 7
sectors of society. While we
are known for our recognition
programs, we decided to come up
with a publication that will share
stories of triumphs and dreams
fulfilled by the exceptional artists
we have honored in the past,”
says
Metrobank
Foundation
President Aniceto Sobrepeña.
MADE of GOLD, the Metrobank Foundation, Inc. (MBFI)’s first art coffee table
book. The book was launched in 2013 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines
as part of Metrobank’s 50th anniversary celebration. Gracing the book launch
were (left to right) MBFI President Aniceto Sobrepeña, former Philippine
President Fidel Ramos, former Chief Justice Artemio Panganiban, Federal
Land President Alfred Ty, and MADE of GOLD writer-editor Cid Reyes.
Metrobank Prize for Achievement
in Sculpture awardees, 13 interior
designers, and 6 architects.
“This
recognition
is
more
meaningful as we celebrate the
26 | NIN HAO | NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2014
Foundation’s 35th anniversary
and MADE’s 30th year. This is
an affirmation on our part as
young publishers advocating
for excellence, inspiration, and
empowerment in the different
MADE is Metrobank Foundation’s
pioneering
art
and
design
competition established in 1984.
Over the years, it has recognized
art masters such as Bobby Feleo,
Elmer Borlongan, Mark Justiniani,
Duddley Diaz, Dan Raralio, Noell
El Farol, Alfredo Esquillo Jr.,
and Gabby Barredo. MADE later
expanded its scope to recognize
creative works in sculpture,
architecture, and interior design.
With the inclusion of architecture
and interior design competitions,
MADE has honored excellent
works of architects Noel Tan,
Michael Peña, Jericho Adriano,
John David O’Yek, and Angelo
Mañosa, as well as that of interior
designers Marybeth Tabaquin,
Jasmine O’yek Sy, Wilhelmina
Garcia, April Frigillana, and Karina
Diana Cortez.
MBFI supports boat project
The Metrobank Foundation Inc. (MBFI) signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation in
November for the distribution of 94 fishing boats to Yolanda survivors in Calauit Island and El Nido, Palawan under the
Metrobank Group’s Helping Hands Rehabilitation effort. The Foundation is giving a total of 500 fishing boats to Yolandaaffected fishermen, amounting to P10 million.
Also, through the generosity of the officers and staff of the Metrobank Group, the MBFI was able to distribute 754 student’s
kits and 30 teacher’s kits to Lupok Central Elementary School in Guiuan, Eastern Samar, through the I am B.L.E.S.T
(Bringing Love and Encouragement to Students and Teachers) project. Also there to share the joy in distributing the kits
were AFP Chief of Staff General Gregorio Pio Catapang and Guiuan Mayor Christopher Sheen Gonzales.
TOP PHOTO: Officers of Metrobank Foundation and
Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation at the MOA signing
NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2014 | NIN HAO | 27
MDH recognizes
exemplary
doctors, staff
E
ight employees and 12 doctors were honored
in the first Manila Doctors Hospital (MDH)
Exemplar Awards as recognition of their
outstanding contribution and excellence in
their respective fields that played a big role in the
growth and sustainability of MDH. The Exemplar
Awards was the highlight of the Hospital’s 58th
Anniversary celebration.
The Exemplar Awards is the brain-child of Metrobank
Group Chairman Dr. George S.K. Ty as a fitting salute
to the individuals whose accomplishments have helped
shape MDH into what it is today.
The Awards is divided into two categories: the Exemplar
Awards for Medical Staff and the Exemplar Awards for
Employees. The Exemplar Awards for Medical Staff
honors the healthcare practitioners whose innovations
in medical practice and patient care, research and
NIN HAO | NOVEMBER
- DECEMBER
2014
28 | NIN-HAO
| NOVEMBER
- DECEMBER
2014
training, professional outreach, and leadership that have
contributed to the growth of the Hospital its excellent
patient care.
The Exemplar Awards for Employees, on the other hand,
recognizes officers and non-supervisory staff whose
professionalism and affirmative attitudes have also made
a positive impact in the delivery of the healthcare services
to the patients.
Dr. George S.K. Ty himself, together with MDH
Chairman Dr. Antonio Abacan Jr., Vice Chairman Mary
Ty, President Aniceto Sobrepeña, and Hospital Director
Dr. Hian Ho Kua, presented the awards.
The following doctors received the MDH Exemplar
Awards for Medical Staff: Dr. Elizabeth Montemayor,
Dr. Cynthia Cuayo-Juico, Dr. Lourdes Rhoda Reyes, Dr.
Melecia Velmonte, Dr. Nora Silao, Dr. Anthony Leachon,
Dr. Eugenio Reyes, Dr. Rogelio Tangco, Dr. Jocelyn
Yambao-Franco, Dr. Virgilio Bañez, Dr. Nelson Abelardo,
and Dr. Roehl Salvador.
The following frontline and support
services staff received the Exemplar
Awards for Employees: Celso Lizano,
Analyn Salivio, Tahnee Moran, Ma.
Magdalena Consad, Reynalyn Elena
Alarcio, Ma. Elizabeth Cruz, Joy
Carmel Gorospe, and Evelyn Vinuya.
NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2014 | NIN HAO | 29
30 | NIN HAO | NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2014
NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2014 | NIN HAO | 31
MDH, TXTFIRE Philippines
renew partnership
M
anila Doctors Hospital (MDH) renewed its
partnership with TXTFIRE Philippines Foundation
Inc. on September 23 in a formal memorandum of
agreement (MOA) signing ceremonies.
With the partnership, MDH will provide TXTFIRE volunteers
discounts on selected medical services as well as medical assistance
for injuries in the line of duty.
TXTFIRE is one of the biggest fire volunteer groups in the country
and uses the text messaging system in reporting fires and mobilizing
its fire brigades. TXTFIRE has close to 200,000 subscribers and over
1,000 fire volunteers. MDH and TXTFIRE have been partners since
2010.
Present during the signing were (seated, from left) MDH Deputy
Administrative Director Dr. Terrence Cham, MDH Hospital Director
Dr. Hian Ho Kua, TXTFIRE Philippines Founder and President
Gerie Chua, TXTFIRE Safety and Public Officer Jones Lim, and
TXTFIRE Technical Administrator Gerick Chua. Together with
them are Business Development Division Consultant Joaquin Sy
(standing, third from left), Business Development Division Officerin-Charge Bingle Chuidian (standing, third from right), and MDH
and TXTFIRE officers.
32 | NIN HAO | NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2014
Manila Doctors Hospital (MDH) passed the Accreditation Canada International
(ACI) survey conducted on August 11-15 with a Gold Standard of Excellence.
A group of Canadian surveyors headed by Patricia Somers performed extensive
scrutiny of the culture and process of MDH’s various units from the top management
down the ranks. In line with these the MDH Quality Management Office, under the
leadership of Dr. Bernadette Hogar-Manlapat, has put in place quality improvement
projects to raise the bar of excellence of patient-care
within the organization. Undergoing the accreditation
process reaffirms the Hospital’s commitment to provide
world-class care within reach to all its stakeholders as
well as exceptional working conditions to
its entire staff.
MDH was first accredited in 2010 and is
recognized as the first private hospital in
Asia to receive this distinction from the
ACI.
NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2014 | NIN HAO | 33
Manila Doctors, Valenzuela City
give special treat for teachers
T
eachers in Valenzuela City were given free
medical and dental services by Manila
Doctors Hospital (MDH) and the City
Government of Valenzuela through two-part
special medical mission conducted on October 4
and November 22 at the Valenzuela Astrodome.
The medical mission was conducted as part of
the National Teachers Month celebration that
culminated on October 5.
More than 3,000 teachers and their families
were given free medical and dental health
From left: Hospital Director Dr. Hian Ho Kua, Alay Buhay Party List
Representative Wes Gatchalian, Medical Director Dr. Mario Juco, and
Deputy Administrative Director Dr. Terrence Cham.
interventions during the whole-day mission. Headed by
MDH Medical Director Dr. Mario Juco, the MDH medical
mission team was composed of doctors from the following
specialties: ENT, ophthalmology, family medicine, dental
medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, surgery, internal
medicine, and pediatrics.
Teachers were also given gift packs full of school supplies
from the donations of all MDH units and departments and
industry partners.
The medical mission was conducted in close coordination
with the Valenzuela City government, through
34 | NIN HAO | NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2014
Cong. Wes Gatchalian holding Nin Hao with the Nin Hao and Business
Development Team.
Representatives Win and Wes Gatchalian, and various industry partners
including ADP Pharma Corporation, CDO San Marino Corned Tuna,
Champion, Champion Dishwashing Liquid, Champion Fabri-con, Hana
Shampoo, Hapee Toothpaste, Oishi, O Wow!, Oleo-Fats Incorporated,
GT Metro Foundation, Inc, Metrobank Foundation, Inc., SSA General
Merchandise, Systema Tooth and Gum Care, Tantuco Enterprises,
TPencil produced by Amalgamated Specialties Corporation, Tantuco
Foundation, W.L. Foods, Victory Liner, Inc., and University of the East
Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center’s Department of Dentistry.
The City of Valenzuela is one of MDH’s Corporate Social Responsibility
Department’s Circle of Partners.
NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2014 | NIN HAO | 35
DOH ASec Dr. Tayag leads Manila Doctors
Hospital’s Global Handwashing Day Celebration
D
epartment of Health Assistant Secretary Dr. Eric Tayag led Manila Doctors
Hospital’s (MDH) celebration of Global Handwashing Day with a dance
number on October 15 at the Hospital lobby.
MDH doctors and nurses joined Dr. Tayag in the dance number to promote
handwashing as an effective prevention in spreading of diseases. Dr. Tayag also
reminded everyone that the best defense against the deadly Ebola virus, is through
proper handwashing.
Members of the MDH senior management team, led by (top photo, from left) Medical
Director Dr. Mario Juco, Hospital Director Dr. Hian Ho Kua, and Senior Vice
President for Medical Affairs Dr. Dante Morales, kicked off the week-long campaign
with a demonstration of proper handwashing.
The Hospital’s Global Handwashing Day celebration is an annual activity to
heighten the involvement of management, healthcare workers, and increase
community awareness on the importance of handwashing in disease prevention. The
celebration is spearheaded by Dr. Melecia Velmonte of the MDH Infection Prevention
and Control Office.
36 | NIN HAO | NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2014
1
People
and
Events
PHOTO 1
Manila Tytana Colleges (Tytana) alumna Claire Sunshine
Bugaoisan placed fourth in the October 2014 Psychometrician
Licensure Examination conducted by the Professional
Regulatory Board of Psychology with an average of 84%.
PHOTO 2
Meralco President Oscar Reyes (seated, 2nd from left) signs
MOA with Tytana President Dr. Sergio Cao (3rd from left), VP
for Academic Affairs Dr. Lino Reynoso, and VP for Finance and
Administration Milna Madlangbayan, offering scholarships to
deserving Tytana students. Also in photo are Tytana officers
and some recipients of the scholarship.
CEREMONIAL PILE DRIVING OF MDH’S
NEW MEDICAL TOWER
PHOTO 1
2
Metrobank Group Chairman Dr. George S.K. Ty,
MDH President Aniceto Sobrepeña
PHOTO 3
3
United Coconut
Planters Bank (UCPB)
President Jeronimo
U. Kilayko hands over
scholarship certificate
to a Manila Tytana
Colleges (Tytana)
student at the MOA
signing for the UCPBTytana Scholarship
Program. Also in
photo are Tytana
Chairman Dr. Antonio
S. Abacan, Jr. (right)
and Tytana President
Dr. Sergio S. Cao.
NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2014 | NIN HAO | 37
PHOTO 4
Chiang Kai Shek College (CKSC) Chairman of the Board
Allen Roxas, College President Dr. Dory Poa, and Alumni
Association President Philip Chan lead toast at the 75th
anniversary celebration of the college at the SMX Convention
Center.
PHOTO 5
A student in a symbolic offering of cake.
PHOTO 6
4
5
Charter Ping An Vice Chairman Robert Yu with Dr. Lucio Tan,
one of five outstanding alumni awardees at the anniversary
celebration.
PHOTO 7
CKSC students at the school fair held in celebration of the
college’s 75th anniversary.
6
7
38 | NIN HAO | NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2014
PHOTO 8
Top officers of the CKSC Alumni
Association with copies of the Sept.Oct. issue of Nin Hao.
PHOTO 9
CKSC scouts pose after a tree-planting
activity at the Las Pinas-Paranaque
area. They also participated in the 2014
International Coastal Cleanup Drive.
9
8
PHOTO 10
CKSC third-grader Samantha Maye
Chua shows her medal after winning
2nd place in the PETA-Lampara
storytelling competition at the SMX
Convention Hall.
10
PHOTO 11
11
At the launching of the
Manila Overseas Chinese
Service Center. From
left: deputy director of
the Overseas Chinese
Affairs Office Zhu Liu,
Chinese ambassador to the
Philippines Zhao Jianhua,
honorary president Dr.
Lucio Tan and president Dr.
Alfonso Siy of the FFCCCII.
The center is the third in the
world. The first two being
in San Francisco, USA and
Tokyo.
NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2014 | NIN HAO | 39
PHOTO 12
12
Zhou Xu (2nd from right), Chinese
Embassy Cultural Office First Secretary
and Christina Liu (right), Chinese director
of the Confucius Institute at the Ateneo
de Manila University with two Chinese
teachers at an event at the institute.
Zhou Xu’s comment about Nin Hao: “The
contents are rich and varied, the photos
very interesting, especially the features
on Chinese culture. Very readable. The
Chinese translations of National Artist for
Literature Virgilio Almario’s poems are
really precious.”
PHOTO 13
Filipino members of
the Chinese Language
Teaching Society at the
Angeles University. They
all studied Chinese at the
Confucius Institute at the
university. Some were also
sent for training at some
universities in China.
13
PHOTO 14
Dr. Ellen Palanca (in striped
shirt) with teachers and
students of the Confucius
Institute at the Ateneo de
Manila University, the first
Confucius Institute in the
country.
40 | NIN HAO | NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2014
14
PHOTO 15
15
Dr. Francis Chua, Chairman Emeritus of
the Philippine Chamber of Commerce
and Industry (PCCI) and Honorary
President of the Federation of FilipinoChinese Chambers of Commerce and
Industry Inc (FFCCCII), receives his
IABC Communication Excellence in
Organization (CEO) Excel Awards for
2014 from the International Association
of Business Communicators (IABC).
Chua also received the Rotary Golden
Wheel Award for 2014.
PHOTO 16
Metrobank adviser Tan Tian Siong, newlyinducted president of the Hong Kong Chamber of
Commerce of the Philippines with Reginald Yu,
president of the Association of Young FilipinoChinese Entrepreneurs (Anvil Business Club), at
the launching and induction of officers of the new
business chamber.
PHOTO 17
Officers of the Association of Chinese-Filipino
Schools at the Sun Yatsen Memorial, one of
highlights of the group’s exposure trip to Taiwan.
17
16
NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2014 | NIN HAO | 41
PHOTO 18
18
Dr. Henry Lim Bon Liong, Chairman
of SL Agritech and president of
the Philippine Soong Ching Ling
Foundation (PSCLF), speaks at an
activity of the Rice Bucket Challenge
which he launched in the country
middle of September. The campaign
has gained wide support in the
Tsinoy community. Lim is also VP of
the Federation of Filipino-Chinese
Chambers of Commerce and Industry
Inc. (FFCCCII).
PHOTO 19
Lim with officers of PSCLF and the
Foguangshan Mabuhay Temple with
some local officials and beneficiaries.
PHOTO 20
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19
Teachers and students
of the Three Acts of
Goodness School
(佛光三好學校) at the
Foguangshan Mabuhay
Temple. The school
aims to teach Mandarin
language in a fun way,
thru storytelling, cooking,
singing, arts and culture,
and to train the students
to do good deeds, speak
good words, and think
good thoughts.
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22
Xavier School Students’
Exposure Trip to China
PHOTO 21
At the Church of the Holy Rosary (玫瑰圣母堂)
in Xiamen. Built in 1860, the church is one of
oldest Catholic churches in Fujian, and offers
mass in English and Chinese.
PHOTO 22
At the Rizal Park in Jinjiang. Built thru donations
from the Chinese Filipino community, it is the
biggest Rizal Park outside of the Philippines.
23
PHOTO 23
At a factory of Liwayway (China)
Co., Ltd., producer of Oishi snack
foods, the favorite snack foods
among Chinese children. Liwayway
has more than ten manufacturing
facilities, and is one of the most
succesful Filipino enterprises
in China. It is a major donor to
Gawad Kalinga and the Operation
Barrio Schools of the Federation
of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of
Commerce and Industry, Inc.
NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2014 | NIN HAO | 43
PHOTO 24
Officers of the Association of
Chinese Filipino Schools pose
during an observation and study
tour in Taiwan, where the group
visited schools, museums and
some scenic spots.
PHOTO 25
24
Chinese teachers and Filipino
students at the Confucius
Institute in Angeles University
during celebration of Teacher’s
Day.
PHOTO 26
Nin Hao consultant Joaquin Sy poses
with Chinese teachers after speaking at
forum organized by the Confucius Institute
at Angeles University at the Midas Hotel,
Roxas Blvd. The more than a hundred
teachers arrived in Manila last June, and
are assigned to Filipino schools all over
the country to teach Mandarin, which
about 80 public schools opted to study as
foreign language. Sy talked about projects
of the Chinese Filipino community geared
towards nation building and poverty
alleviation, with focus on scholarships and
education projects.
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PHOTO 27
Guests at the thanksgiving day for the
newly renovated Tiongse Academy,
formerly Anglo-Chinese School, the
country’s first Chinese language school,
established in 1899.
PHOTO 28
Mr. Carlos Chung, Manila 3rd District
representative Naida Angping, Consul
General Qiu Jian of the Chinese
Embassy and Dr. James Dy lead other
special guests in the ribbon cutting for
the newly renovated Tiongse Academy.
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PHOTO 29
29
Officers of Philippine Soong Ching Ling Foundation (PSCLF)
and Kaisa Para sa Kaunlaran (Kaisa) pose after distributing rice
to residents of PSCLF-Oishi GK Village in Baseco, Tondo on
November 16.
The PSCLF-Oishi GK Village was among the very first Gawad
Kalinga (GK) villages in Baseco funded by the Tsinoy community
thru Kaisa, a Tsinoy NGO working for the integration of the
Tsinoys into mainstream society so that they can participate more
meaningfully in nation-building and poverty alleviation.
30
PHOTO 30-33
PSCLF and Kaisa officers Pilar Ongking and Vicente Ongtenco (30),
Lourdes Lim Wang and Angela Arriola Yu (31), Anabel Chua Lim
and Jocson Seno Ang (32) and Nelson Guevarra (33) distribute rice
to Baseco residents.
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