Monday, September 25, 2023
manilastandard.net
ADVERTISEMENT
  • About
  • News
    • Top Stories
    • National
    • World News
    • Pinoy Abroad
    • Features
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Columns
    • Soundbytes
  • LGUs
    • NCR
    • Luzon
    • Visayas
    • Mindanao
  • Business
    • Corporate
    • Economy & Trade
    • Stocks
    • Money
    • Agri & Mining
    • Power & Tech
    • IT & Telecom
  • Sports
    • Basketball
    • Volleyball
    • Fightsports
    • Active
    • Sports Plus
    • One Championship
    • Columns
  • Entertainment
    • TV & Movies
    • Celebrity Profiles
    • Music & Concerts
    • Digital Media
    • Columns
  • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Culture & Media
    • Fashion
    • Health and Home
    • Leisure
    • Shopping
    • Columns
    • Young Life
  • Special Pages
    • Pets
    • Tech
      • Gadgets
      • Computers
      • Business
      • Tech Plus
    • On the Road
      • Sedan
      • SUV
      • Truck
      • Bike
      • Accessories
      • Motoring Plus
      • Commuter’s Corner
    • Home & Design
      • Residential
      • Commercial
      • Construction
      • Interior
    • Spotlight
    • Cravings
    • Environment & Sustainability
    • Agriculture
    • Pop.Life
      • Newsmakers
      • Hangouts
      • A-Pop
      • Post Its
      • Performances
      • Malls & Bazaars
      • Hobbies & Collections
    • Events
      • Seminars
      • Exhibits
      • Community
    • Biyahero
      • Travel Features
      • Travel Reels
      • Travel Logs
    • Gallery
      • Photos
      • Videos
  • Advertise with Us
No Result
View All Result
  • About
  • News
    • Top Stories
    • National
    • World News
    • Pinoy Abroad
    • Features
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Columns
    • Soundbytes
  • LGUs
    • NCR
    • Luzon
    • Visayas
    • Mindanao
  • Business
    • Corporate
    • Economy & Trade
    • Stocks
    • Money
    • Agri & Mining
    • Power & Tech
    • IT & Telecom
  • Sports
    • Basketball
    • Volleyball
    • Fightsports
    • Active
    • Sports Plus
    • One Championship
    • Columns
  • Entertainment
    • TV & Movies
    • Celebrity Profiles
    • Music & Concerts
    • Digital Media
    • Columns
  • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Culture & Media
    • Fashion
    • Health and Home
    • Leisure
    • Shopping
    • Columns
    • Young Life
  • Special Pages
    • Pets
    • Tech
      • Gadgets
      • Computers
      • Business
      • Tech Plus
    • On the Road
      • Sedan
      • SUV
      • Truck
      • Bike
      • Accessories
      • Motoring Plus
      • Commuter’s Corner
    • Home & Design
      • Residential
      • Commercial
      • Construction
      • Interior
    • Spotlight
    • Cravings
    • Environment & Sustainability
    • Agriculture
    • Pop.Life
      • Newsmakers
      • Hangouts
      • A-Pop
      • Post Its
      • Performances
      • Malls & Bazaars
      • Hobbies & Collections
    • Events
      • Seminars
      • Exhibits
      • Community
    • Biyahero
      • Travel Features
      • Travel Reels
      • Travel Logs
    • Gallery
      • Photos
      • Videos
  • Advertise with Us
No Result
View All Result
manilastandard.net
No Result
View All Result
Home Opinion Columns About Town by Ernesto M. Hilario

Tsinoys speak up on China issues

Ernesto M. HilariobyErnesto M. Hilario
May 21, 2019, 12:40 am
in About Town by Ernesto M. Hilario
Reading Time: 4 mins read
A A
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Email

"We are Filipinos even if our ancestors are Chinese."

 

 

How does the Filipino-Chinese community view our enhanced economic cooperation with China?

George Siy, a prominent businessman and chairman of the Trade and Industry cluster of the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (FFCCCII), believes that “we are in a very unusual situation because our economic growth today is the fastest compared to the past five to six decades in our history. Interest rates are at the lowest levels than they have ever been.”

He asked: “What should we do to take advantage of this situation? How can ordinary Filipinos benefit from our economic growth?”

Siy, a graduate of the Wharton School of Business of the University of Pennsylvania, told media during our Saturday Forum@Annabel’s a week ago that the federation conducts trainings, creates access to jobs and livelihood opportunities, helps government in crafting legislation that would promote economic growth, and even assists in facilitating loan agreements if asked.

“We are Filipinos even if our ancestors are Chinese. When we go abroad, we try to promote the country and protect the country as well.”

Siy noted that while the US has asked its allies in Europe not to buy Chinese goods, Germany, Great Britain and Italy have said they would still buy from China. “This is not really a trade war but a war for supremacy for the next generation of technology. These countries are making independent decisions and we should do so as well.”

“Our trade with China is booming. They are buying many of our fruits. We have more than doubled the volume in the last two years. But we are not producing enough so we must encourage more people to invest in agriculture. While other countries have increased their trade with China from five to 10 times and earning billions of dollars from their exports, we are exporting just one-third or less of that,” Siy pointed out.

The Tsinoy businessman said that with more Chinese tourists coming to the Philippines, then “we must build more tourism infrastructure. A hotel takes at least three years to build, for instance. But if we keep on attacking China in the newspapers every day, then our efforts will all go to waste.”

Amid news reports of Chinese-only restaurants mushrooming in Metro Manila and in Boracay, Siy had this to say: “When we start a business, not all the papers or documents may be there. We have to understand that sometimes business establishments decide to open even without complete papers, but they have to follow the rules sooner or later.”

For Siy, “it’s not politics that should be given priority, but economics. Even if we have political disagreements, we can take advantage of economic opportunities. We want market access, whether we are producing agricultural goods or selling services.”

“Our relationship with China is very important because the Chinese can provide financing for our infrastructure requirements. We’re talking not just about physical infrastructure but also technological advances, including artificial intelligence and robotics, where China has already made significant progress,” he added.

For Siy, “it’s not correct to say that the Chinese are taking away jobs from Filipinos. They earn three times more in China than they do here. We shouldn’t drive them out. Let’s legitimize their employment, get them to pay the proper taxes to the government since they contribute to the Philippine economy with their expenditures in rentals, food and so on.”

For his part, Wilson Lee Flores, a newspaper columnist and chairman of the Public Information Committee of the FFCCCII, concurred with Siy that Philippines-China economic relations have indeed become more pronounced in recent years.

“With our independent foreign policy, we have started to become closer to all the big powers. The Duterte administration strives to establish closer ties with Japan, for instance. More foreign businessmen are coming to the Philippines, and this is good news.”

Flores lamented that media in the Philippines and abroad are concentrating on the territorial dispute in the South China Sea between China and the Philippines.

“The bigger picture is that we should focus on the economic dimension of our longstanding ties, and take an active part in the Belt and Road project. We can bring in more Chinese tourists to the country provided we have adequate tourism infrastructure.”

Apart from this, he said, the Philippine government should promote more exports, where right now we’re earning several hundred million dollars a year. “Our direct competitors are our next-door neighbors in ASEAN, such as Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. What’s important today is healthy economic competition.”

Flores noted that most of the federation members are micro, small, and medium enterprises who stand to benefit with the normalization of our bilateral relations with China. “Our enhanced ties with China is good news for the Philippine economy. We should depoliticize our foreign policy and strive to foster economic cooperation with other countries.” 

[email protected]

Tags: ChinaFederation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and IndustryPublic Information CommitteeSouth China SeaTsinoys
ADVERTISEMENT
Ernesto M. Hilario

Ernesto M. Hilario

Related Posts

CamSur mayor charged with illegal quarrying

byErnesto M. Hilario
September 22, 2023, 12:10 am
0
8
Denying Villafuerte justice

The complainants are seeking the immediate suspension without pay of Mabulo and the five barangay chairmen Up for deliberation by...

Read more

Joint WPS patrols

byErnesto M. Hilario
September 20, 2023, 12:05 am
0
8
Denying Villafuerte justice

The AFP is well within its mandate in asserting our sovereignty over our EEZ Don't expect big warships of the...

Read more

Unified messaging for peacebuilding

byErnesto M. Hilario
September 15, 2023, 12:05 am
0
8
Denying Villafuerte justice

The search for peace does not end with efforts to find a political solution to the armed conflict through negotiations...

Read more

Another Pagcor controversy

byErnesto M. Hilario
September 13, 2023, 12:10 am
0
8
Denying Villafuerte justice

Will this Pagcor controversy be investigated by the AMLC and the SC? Still smarting from the recent P3-million controversy over...

Read more

All-out war vs. rice hoarders/manipulators

byErnesto M. Hilario
September 8, 2023, 12:10 am
0
8
Denying Villafuerte justice

The Department of Social Welfare and Development, the President explained, has enough funds to help retailers recoup their losses What...

Read more

Defending WPS from interlopers

byErnesto M. Hilario
September 6, 2023, 12:05 am
0
8
Denying Villafuerte justice

Apart from joint military exercises with Australia, Japan and the United States, the Marcos administration is stepping up efforts to...

Read more

Print Edition

View More

Recent Posts

  • Tougher sanctions on agri smugglers
  • Ang Bayani, bow!
  • Understanding how to fight text scammers
  • Azerbaijan seizes arms from Nagorno-Karabakh rebels
  • Tax collection fell in August, gov’t budget deficit widened
  • NGCP to hasten renewable energy transition
  • Clear view
  • Festive decors

Advertisement

Latest News

NGCP to hasten renewable energy transition

byButch Gunio
September 24, 2023, 11:00 pm
0
8
NGCP energizes Bohol transmission facilities

The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) vowed to hasten its transition to renewable and sustainable energy sources. Recognizing...

Read more

Clear view

byManila Standard
September 24, 2023, 10:58 pm
0
8
House launches 3-volume compilation on DRRM laws, jurisprudence

Mayon Volcano shows itself to tourists and motorists passing by Diversion Road in Camalig, Albay on Saturday afternoon, Sept. 23,...

Read more

Festive decors

byJoseph Muego
September 24, 2023, 10:53 pm
0
8
House launches 3-volume compilation on DRRM laws, jurisprudence

With 91 days before Christmas, motorists stop along the main road of San Fernando in Pampanga where Christmas lanterns are...

Read more

66 BSKE bets face disqualification

byManila Standard
September 24, 2023, 10:50 pm
0
8
Submit statement on spending, contributions, candidates told

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will file this week disqualification cases against at least 66 candidates for the October barangay...

Read more

Manila seeks support for UNSC seat bid

byRey E. Requejo
September 24, 2023, 10:40 pm
0
8
PH, CH form way to settle dispute

The Philippines on Sunday sought the support of the United Nations for its bid for a non-permanent seat in the...

Read more

Advertisement

ADVERTISEMENT
Facebook Twitter Instagram Youtube

ABOUT US

Manila Standard

Manila Standard website (manilastandard.net), launched in August 2002, extends the newspaper’s reach beyond its traditional readers and makes its brand of Philippine news and opinion available to a much wider and geographically diverse readership here and overseas.

Digital Edition

In tone and content, the online edition mirrors the editorial thrust of the newspaper. While hewing to the traditional precepts of fairness and objectivity, MS believes the news of the day need not be staid, overly long or dry. Stories are succinct, readable and written in a lively style that has become a hallmark of the newspaper.

Download – Today’s Paper

Search

No Result
View All Result

6th Floor Universal Re Bldg., 106 Paseo De Roxas cor. Perea Street, Legaspi Village, 1226 Makati City Philippines

Trunklines: 832-5554, 832-5556, 832-5558

© 2021 Manila Standard - Designed and Developed by Neitiviti Studios.

No Result
View All Result
  • About
  • News
    • Top Stories
    • National
    • World News
    • Pinoy Abroad
    • Features
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Columns
    • Soundbytes
  • LGUs
    • NCR
    • Luzon
    • Visayas
    • Mindanao
  • Business
    • Corporate
    • Economy & Trade
    • Stocks
    • Money
    • Agri & Mining
    • Power & Tech
    • IT & Telecom
  • Sports
    • Basketball
    • Volleyball
    • Fightsports
    • Active
    • Sports Plus
    • One Championship
    • Columns
  • Entertainment
    • TV & Movies
    • Celebrity Profiles
    • Music & Concerts
    • Digital Media
    • Columns
  • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Culture & Media
    • Fashion
    • Health and Home
    • Leisure
    • Shopping
    • Columns
    • Young Life
  • Pets
  • Tech
    • Gadgets
    • Computers
    • Business
    • Tech Plus
  • ON THE ROAD
    • Sedan
    • SUV
    • Truck
    • Bike
    • Accessories
    • Motoring Plus
    • Commuter’s Corner
  • Home & Design
    • Residential
    • Commercial
    • Construction
    • Interior
  • Spotlight
  • Cravings
  • Environment & Sustainability
  • Agriculture
  • Pop.Life
    • Newsmakers
    • Hangouts
    • A-Pop
    • Post Its
    • Performances
    • Malls & Bazaars
    • Hobbies & Collections
  • Events
    • Seminars
    • Exhibits
    • Community
  • Biyahero
    • Travel Features
    • Travel Reels
    • Travel Logs
  • Gallery
    • Photos
    • Videos
  • Advertise with Us

© 2021 Manila Standard - Designed and Developed by Neitiviti Studios.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Install Manila Standard Web App

Install App