December 7-20, 2010 (option 2).indd - Kaisa Para Sa Kaunlaran

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Tulay FORTNIGHTLY December 7-20, 2010

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CHINESE-FILIPINO DIGEST
fortnightly
Publisher
KAISA PARA SA KAUNLARAN, INC.
Editorial Consultants
DOREEN YU MIRIAM LIEUSON
YVONNE T. CHUA
Editorial Board Members
ANG CHAK CHI MEAH ANG SEE
ELEONOR LEE-TSUMURA GANNY TAN
Columnists
TERESITA ANG SEE GO BON JUAN
WILLIE T. ONG
Contributors
TERESITA ANG SEE
JOAQUIN SY
MEAH ANG SEE
MERRYAN JIM
DANYA GO
Translators
LINETTE CHUA
REYNARD HING
Production Assistant
LIZA LOPEZ
Artists
KASSE RAMOS BLADIMER USI
ABOUT THE COVER
Leonard Co surrounded by the love of his life.
Tulay is published fortnightly by Kaisa Para Sa Kaunlaran, Inc.
with ed i to ri al of fi ce at 2nd Floor, Kaisa-Angelo King Her i tage Center
Anda corner Cabildo Streets, Intramuros, Manila, 1002 Philippines
All contents and opin ions ex pressed in the pa per
are the sole re spon si bil i ty of Kaisa Para Sa Kaunlaran, Inc.
Tels.: 482-0512 • 527-6083 • 526-6796 Fax: (63-2) 527-6085
E-mail: tulayweekly@gmail.com • kaisadotph@yahoo.com
ENTERED AS SECOND CLASS MAIL MATTER AT THE MANILA
CEN TRAL POST OFFICE ON FEB. 17, 1992 UNDER PERMIT NO. 307
ISSN 0116-6689 VOL. 23 NO. 13
December 7-20, 2010 Tulay FORTNIGHTLY
INSIDE
Renowned botanist
Leonard Co, killed in
Leyte, is remembered by
family and friends as a
peerless scientist who put
his country’s ecological
welfare above all else.
Joaquin Sy recalls Co’s
younger days and Teresita
Ang See takes us through
Co’s professional life and
his untimely death.
Cover 8-13
Co: Fallen hero lives on • Si Leonard Co aka 许振忠
Community News 3-4
Heroes wall gets 13 new names
Time honors Cory ...again
U.P. Council seeks justice for botanist
Leonardo Co
Pinoy drug traffickers in China on death row
Kidnap Watch
Opinion 5
Tsinoy Beats and Bytes
Origins
Comic relief
Round Up 6
Student 7
Finding gold in Katipunan
Feature 16
Intsik politics
TSINOYTOWN

whereto
HOWARD HAO: Rustic Joy
Artes Orientes, 2/F, The Shops
Serendra Bonifacio Global City
Taguig
until Dec. 9 856-9047
artesorientes@gmail.com
JOY MALLARI: Doll Eyes
3F, North and South Wing Galleries
Jorge B. Vargas Museum and
Filipiniana Research Center
Roxas Ave., U.P. Diliman, Quezon City
Dec. 10, 2010-Jan. 15 2011
928-1927, 981-85-00 loc. 4024
vargasmuseum@gmail.com
PINTURA ART GROUP: Call of Art
Galeria de las Islas, 3/F, Silahis Center
744 Gen. Luna St., Intramuros
Manila until Dec. 10
527-2113
ARACELLI LIMCACO DANS: Dans
in Black & White
Art Verite, Shops at Serendra
Bonifacio Global City, Taguig
until Dec. 11 915-1982
RAYMOND TANGIDAY: Bagobo
Myths and Legends
Mendez Big and Small Art Gallery
4/F, SM Megamall A, Mandaluyong
until Dec. 12
566-2640, 0917-8482691
OMI REYES: OMixed
Galerie Anna, 4/F, SM Megamall A
Mandaluyong City
until Dec. 15 470-2511
info@galerieanna.com
Experience the Face
Sining Kamalig and Artis Corpus Gallery
Gateway Mall, Araneta Center
Cubao, Quezon City
until Dec. 29
ONIB OLMEDO: In My Life (Soul Portraits)
Ground Floor Gallery, Ayala Museum
Makati City until Jan. 16, 2011
757-7117, 757-1505
pestana.cv@ayalafoundation.org
Golden Key, by Grace Christian College
Meralco Theatre, Meralco Bldg.
Ortigas Ave., Pasig City
Jan. 29-30, 2011
366-2000, 364-7435, 364-7440
Lee Aguinaldo: In Retrospect
Ateneo Art Gallery, ADMU
Katipunan Ave., Loyola Heights
Quezon City until Feb. 5, 2011
426-6488
At The Lopez Memorial Museum
Extensions
Loob at Labas
Benpres Bldg., Ortigas Center
Pasig City
until April 2011 631-2417
admin@lopez-museum.org
Human rights lawyers, a
pastor, teachers and organizers of
students, the youth, peasants and
communities were honored on
Nov. 30 and their names engraved
on the Wall of Remembrance
at the Bantayog ng Mga Bayani
(Monument of Heroes) in Quezon
City.
This year’s honorees bring to
193 the names etched on the black
granite Wall of Remembrance near
the 45-foot bronze monument
by renowned sculptor Eduardo
Castrillo that depicts a defiant
mother holding a fallen son.
The monument, the wall and
other structures at the Bantayog
complex are dedicated to “the
nation’s modern-day martyrs and
heroes who fought against all odds to
help regain freedom, peace, justice,
truth and democracy in the country.”
Time honors Cory ...again
Democracy icon Corazon C. Aquino has been named by Time
Magazine as among the “25 Most Powerful Women of the Past
Century.”
The publication noted her role in restoring democracy through
peaceful means, facing down the military might of former Philippine
strongman Ferdinand E. Marcos.
The now-legendary People Power Revolution of 1986 catapulted
the unassuming housewife into the country’s highest political offi ce:
the presidency.
Even after her term ended, she remained an infl uential voice in
national politics. She fi nally succumbed to cancer last year.
She was one of only four former heads of state: Margaret
Thatcher of Britain, Indira Gandhi of India, and Angela Merkel
of Germany.
In 1986, she was the on the magazine’s cover and named Woman
of the Year – the fi rst female leader to be thus distinguished since
Queen Elizabeth in 1952.
She graced Time’s cover 20 years later and then again in 2009.
Time’s list of 25 includes Nobel laureate Mother Teresa, music
icon Madonna, and scientist Marie Curie.
community news
Heroes wall gets 13 new names
This year’s honorees include
human rights lawyers David T. Bueno
(1956-1987), Arthur E. Galace
(1942-1993), Alex A. Mirabueno
(1951-1988); Tsinoy lawyer William
T. Chua (1955-2004); teachers
Eduardo E. Lanzona (1946-1975),
Modesto C. Sison (1947-1977) and
Teresito G. Sison (1930-1980).
Also honored were activists and
organizers Roy Lorenzo H. Acebedo
(1951-1975), Jesus F. Fernandez
(1955-2007), brothers Alfredo
(1947-1973) and Armando L.
Mendoza (1949-1975) and Rolan
Y. Ybañez (1958-1985); pastor
Salvador F. Leaño (1921-1986).
How these heroes lived and died
varied. Some were tortured, killed
or have disappeared.
Only three – Chua, Fernandez
and Galace– died of natural causes.
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Family and
friends
attend
tribute
to Atty.
William
Chua at the
Bantayog.
Teresito Sison and Lanzano were
both tortured before they died.
Ybañez, the two Mendozas, and
Modesto Sison are missing. Bueno
was assassinated. Mirabueno and
Leaño were shot.
Some of the deaths were
particularly gruesome. Leaño’s body,
for instance, was stuffed inside a
sack and later found buried in a
shallow grave.
British Ambassador
Stephen Lillie (center)
visits Bahay Tsinoy
Museum on Nov. 30. Kaisa
Para Sa Kaunlaran offi cers
(from left) Charles Ng,
Napoleon Co, Teresita
Ang See, Reynard Hing,
Baldwin Kho and Ang
Chak Chi welcomed him to
the museum.
Tulay FORTNIGHTLY December 7-20, 2010

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community news
U.P. Council seeks justice for botanist Leonardo Co
“We are unconvinced by the
military’s explanation that they were
killed in a crossfi re.”
Thus the University Council of
the University of the Philippines,
Diliman, Quezon City, has called
for justice for the wanton killing
of botanist Leonardo L. Co and his
co-workers Sofronio Cortez and
Julius Borromeo in the forests of
Kanangga, Leyte.
On this basis, the Council asks the
government to act immediately on
Pinoy drug
traffi ckers
in China
on death row
Three Filipinos on death row in
China for drug traffi cking have one
last chance for life: ‘fess up.
In China, traffi cking of 50 grams
or more is punished by 15 years
in jail or the death sentence. The
decision has been affirmed by
China’s Supreme Court.
The only way out is to name
members of the drug syndicate they
worked for, media reports said.
About 112 overseas Filipino
workers face the death penalty
in China, 76 of them for drug
traffi cking.
In other countries, OFWs have
also been accused of crime.
There are 18 cases involving
OFWs in Malaysia on death row
after conviction for drug traffi cking,
robbery, rape, homicide and murder.
In Brazil, there are reportedly
50 cases of OFWs detained for
drug traffi cking. More cases have
also been reported in other South
American countries involving
OFWs in drug traffi cking.
Syndicates usually pay mules or
couriers US$3,000 (P130,000) to
US$4,000 (P173,600), said Esteban
Conejos Jr., Philippine Department
of Foreign Affairs’ undersecretary
for Migrant Workers Affairs.
In Asia, there are 302 drugrelated
cases involving Filipinos.
About two-thirds of these are in
China.
December 7-20, 2010 Tulay FORTNIGHTLY
the following:
1) Form an
independent
and credible
investigating
team to ferret
out the truth
and identify
those culpable
involved in this
unconscionable
incident;
2) Ensure
Life terms for 2 kidnapers
Two suspected kidnapers were
sentenced to life imprisonment
on Nov. 10 for kidnaping a minor
in San Fernando, Pampanga fi ve
years ago.
In a 22-page decision, Pampanga
Regional Trial Court Judge
Adelaida Alamedina found the
accused, Jose Maglangque and
Jimmy Altoberos, guilty beyond
reasonable doubt for of kidnaping
Paige Nicollete Yu and sentenced
them to reclusion perpetua with no
possibility of parole.
The accused were also ordered
to jointly pay the victim the sum
of P350,000 for damages.
Court records showed that
on Nov. 10, 2005, the victim
was on board a Suzuki Carry
heading toward the gate of the
victim’s subdivision when the accused
forcibly took her. She was
brought to and kept in Lubao,
Pampanga.
The suspects demanded P6
million in ransom in exchange for
the victim’s release.
Yu was rescued on Nov. 16 by
agents of the Police Anti-Crime and
Emergency Response.
OTHER
DEVELOPMENTS
STILL IN CAPTIVITY: BUSI-
NESSWOMAN, 60, by the Abu
Sayyaf, in Zamboanga City, as of
presstime. The victim, a retailer,
was allowed by her captors to make
an appeal as she has begun to fall
ill. The suspects, who seized the
there is no whitewash and those
responsible be charged and
punished;
3) Guarantee the safety of the
survivors, honor and preserve the
integrity of their testimonies;
4) Undertake measures to prevent
the recurrence of the incident; and
5) Make research fi eld sites safe
for all fi eld workers, fi eld biologists
and extension workers among
others, who provide service to the
people.
KID NAP WATCH
Collected by
Move ment for Res to ra tion
of Peace & Or der
In closing, the Council
statement says, “We will not
allow Leonardo’s death to be just
one more statistic. The irony that
his life was taken away while he
himself labored to conserve life
does not escape us. As we grieve for
our colleague, we clamor for justice
for him and his co-fi eldworkers.
Leonardo L. Co was not just one
of us. In truth, he belonged to the
entire nation.” (See p. 8 – Appeal
for Justice fund.)
Kidnaps, killings lead to pullout of teachers
Education has become the latest
casualty in the Philippines’ troubled
south as teachers increasingly face
killings and kidnapings.
Likewise, students are losing
classrooms destroyed by criminals,
while others run the risk of being
taken hostage by Muslim rebels.
In recent media reports, the
government has moved to protect
school teachers by temporarily
suspending classes at 11 primary
and secondary schools in Lamitan,
Basilan. Amid concerns that more
teachers may be kidnaped, police
there has vowed to provide additional
protection for them.
Just on Nov. 15, gunmen abducted
principal Cecilia Sosas and
teacher Merlyn Yacapin, from Baas
Elementary School in Lamitan. Yacapin
was soon released because of
Kidnaping case fi led vs Tsinoy trader’s abduction
Kidnap-for-ransom charges were
fi led on Nov. 30 before the City
Prosecutor’s Offi ce against Julius
Caesar Judilla, Hinigaran, Negros
Occidental.
Reports said Judilla was identifi
ed as the one who kidnaped Tsinoy
businessman Jesus Coloso Kho last
Nov. 24 in Bacolod City.
her swollen feet. No one has claimed
responsibility for the kidnaping.
Sosas’ fate remains unknown.
There has been a spate of attacks
against teachers, foreign missionaries
and business people in Mindanao by
rebels and bandits.
On Nov. 24, gunmen in Cotabato
set fire to classrooms after their
candidates lost in the barangay
elections. The act destroyed
retailer from a passenger jeepney
Nov. 2, initially demanded P5million
ransom. It was lowered
to P1 million but victim’s family
maintains that they could not raise
that amount.
Charged with Judilla were seven
suspects, including a female, who
are still at large.
Records showed that Kho was
forcibly taken by two unidentifi ed
armed men on Margarita Street,
near Libertad public market.
He was freed three hours later
in Barangay Taculing to raise the
classrooms of some 200 fi rst and
second grade students.
In Maguindanao, the principal
of an elementary school was shot
dead by unidentifi ed gunmen days
after the barangay elections.
In 2000, Abu Sayyaf rebels raided
a Catholic school on Basilan, holding
hostage 50 students and teachers.
They killed four of the victims before
military forces rescued the rest.
RELEASED: BUSINESS-
WOMAN Grace Eleoterio, 53, in
Sultan Kudarat, on Nov. 19. Eleoterio,
co-owner with her husband
Demosthenis of a local transport
company, was abducted Nov. 14
by seven armed men who swooped
down on the couple’s business
establishment in Sto. Niño, South
Cotabato.
RELEASED: RODOLFO
CHIO, 70, after payment of ransom,
in Maguindanao, on Nov.
16. Chio was taken by armed
men Nov. 14 from his residence
in Datu Piang town. Ransom
demand was P10 million.
ransom.
The suspects demanded P15
million but Kho begged them to
lower the amount as he did not
have that much. It was lowered to
P1 million. The payoff took place
on Nov. 25 in Bago City.
Judilla was arrested in an entrapment
operation during payoff.

Origins
By Go Bon Juan
許 in the
Philippines
The Chinese surname 許 (Co in Hokkien,
Xu in Mandarin) ranks ninth among the
Chinese surnames in the Philippines and 28th
in China.
Of the Philippines’ 15 presidents, two are
heirs of the surname Co – Corazon Cojuangco
Aquino and Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino
III. Cojuangco is the localized version derived
from the Chinese name of Cory’s great grandfather,
Jose Cojuangco, (Co Yiok Kuan 許玉寰).
The surname 許 originated with the noble
sage Xu Yu (許由 in Mandarin) during the time
of the legendary Emperor Yao (堯) more than
4,000 years ago.
Xu Yu was so wise and famous Emperor Yao
offered him the crown. In those days, the throne
was handed down to someone – not necessarily
the ruler’s sons – deemed wise and able. This
practice was called
禪讓 (“shanrang,”
which means to abdicate
and hand over
the crown to another
person).
However, Xu Yu
didn’t want to accept
the emperor’s offer
and moved away to
Ji Mountain (箕山)
in Henan province.
Emperor Yao sent
people to look for
him and asked him
to head the nine
states. But this ac-
Jose Cojuangco tion only drove Xu
Yu further into reclusion. When the sage passed
away, he was buried at Ji Mountain which was
named Xu Yu Mountain after him. Since then,
his heirs used 許 as their surname.
On a related note, another branch of 許
also has something to do with Xu Yu. During
the West Zhou dynasty (西周 1100-771 B.C.)
Emperor Zhou Wu Wang (周武王) conferred
to an heir of legendary Emperor Yan (炎), Jiang
Wen Shu in Mandarin (姜文叔), a territory at
許 where Xu Yu once stayed and established
the 許 state.
So Jiang Wen Shu was also called Xu Wen
Shu. Some of his heirs thus used the state’s name
許 as their surname. Yet, others used his name
Wen (文) as their surname.
As a result, Chinese of 許 and 文 surnames
actually share the same ancestor.
Tsinoy Beats & Bytes
By Teresita Ang See
opinion
Modern-day heroes honored
Lawyer William Chua was one of 13 heroes recognized during
National Heroes’ Day rites at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani
(Quezon Avenue corner EDSA). The moving story about the 13
fallen heroes were moving and inspiring. It
highlighted the fact that we truly are not
lacking in heroes. It is unfortunate that such
stories do not reach a wider audience.
Chua, a brilliant criminal law trial lawyer, was very close to Kaisa
Para Sa Kaunlaran, especially when the organization spearheaded
the fi ght against kidnapings. He represented the victims against
big-time kidnap-for-ransom syndicates at the risk of his own life.
As a prosecuting lawyer, Chua was meticulous, well-prepared and
excelled in his profession. All 20 cases he handled were resolved in
favor of his clients, resulting in conviction of the kidnapers. Some
of the cases dragged on for years, but he did them pro bono (free of
charge) and charged only expenses. Chua not only supported Kaisa in
its many advocacies, he also helped Kaisa in fund-raising campaigns.
Heroes like him and slain botanist Leonardo Co, wantonly gunned
down in Leyte’s forests while on a research project (see cover story),
are indeed rare. Even as efforts are underway to seek justice for Co,
one cannot help but think wistfully that if the good lawyer was still
around, there would be no question that prosecution of Co’s killers
will be successful.
Pilipinas, Kay Ganda
It is almost here: Christmas, the season of family reunions and
merrymaking. Thus, the release of the promotional slogan introduced
by the Department of Tourism is Pilipinas, Kay Ganda, targeting
the hordes of balikbayan all over the world.
My own market test among
relatives and friends (who are
likely biased in favor of the
Philippines) elicited quite
positive responses.
“Uwing-uwi na ako, lalo na
kay ganda ng uuwian ko (I’m
so eager to go home especially
since I am going to my beautiful
Philippines),” or words to that effect echoed from the United States
and Canada.
One writer from Los Angeles said, “I worked in Calbayog, Samar
for sometime, the logo reminds me of the coconuts and beaches of
Calbayog and makes me homesick.”
Too bad the DOT rushed the slogan’s introduction without
adequate marketing preparation. Instead of a soft launch to test the
idea and introduce it to stakeholders, without fi rst conditioning
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the public minds on the new promotional concept, they plunged
immediately into a big event and ended up with a big fi asco.
Amid allegations of plagiarism – that the DOT copied Poland’s
logo – one should remember that since the
1970s, tourism logos have deployed the Islands
Philippines concept. Our logo had always been
the beach, the sun, and the coconut trees. Of
course, instead of the vinta, a tarsier was added.
Bounty on Lacson
The government is mulling over the idea of offering a P2 million
reward for information leading to the arrest of Sen. Panfi lo Lacson.
Why? He has not been convicted for anything. He awaits the
resolution of his petition to review his case.
Even the most notorious kidnapers ever arrested, Ali Aldas and
Zozimo Lauson, each had only P1 million bounty, and these are
hardened criminals who wreaked havoc on society. Doesn’t Senator
Lacson deserve better from this new administration than these criminals?
His brothers have circulated a letter to the press and his friends
explaining why the warrant should be lifted to allow the senator to
surrender voluntarily and subject himself to our justice system.
They pointed out that the Regional Trial Court judge who issued
the arrest order in February was promoted by former President Gloria
Arroyo to the Court of Appeals one month after he issued the warrant.
They said the basis for alleging his guilt is fabricated.
The principal evidence against Lacson was an affi davit by a lone
witness, former Senior Supt. Cesar Mancao. Mancao claimed to have
been in the same vehicle when he overheard Lacson, then chief of
the Philippine National Police, ordering former Senior Supt. Michael
Ray Aquino to kill publicist
Salvador “Bubby” Dacer.
The Lacson brothers’
statement said the evidence “is
not only weak; it is fabricated.
Just one affidavit with a
conflicting story by a witness
of doubtful credibility against
multiple exonerating affi davits
and statements, including two previously made by the accusing witness
(Mancao)” renders doubtful the government’s basis for determining guilt.
Mancao’s testimony has been disputed by others. Lacson’s driver,
Reynaldo Oximoso Jr., for one, states that the three men – Lacson,
Aquino and Mancao – were never together.
Other witnesses testifi ed that during the timeframe Mancao gave
as when Lacson allegedly gave the kill order, the senator was in the
United States with then-president Joseph “Erap” Estrada.
ATTENTION: U.P. RUBY JUBILARIANS 1971 GRADS
Please register your email and contact information with U.P. Alumni Association UPAA
, Teresita Ang See (UP Diliman A.B. Political Science)
and Arthur A. Tuason (UP Diliman BSBA) for updates on the UP Jubilarians Homecoming on June 25, 2011.
Forward this to other 1971 graduates, including those from other campuses.
ChinChin en NoyNoy ni Bladimer Usi
Tulay FORTNIGHTLY December 7-20, 2010

6
round up
China cops’
crackdown
cuts down
cyber crime
China’s police claims to have
shut down more than 2,500 illegal
websites from July to October. The
crackdown was part of efforts to stop
the spread over the Internet of illegal
activities, including pornography,
gambling, trade in drugs, guns and
explosives.
Information intercepted online
has led to 2,300 minor violation
cases and 4,000 criminal cases.
Dane, Thai
students learn
Chinese
Tsinoy students, take note: teens
in Denmark are learning Chinese
too. Pretty soon, so will university
students in Thailand.
At present, 13 Danish high
schools offer Chinese in the curriculum.
Expect this number to grow,
now that 35 Danish high school
principals have returned from their
trip to China.
Many of them are expected to
offer Chinese in their respective
schools next year, the media reports.
In the land of smiles, the Thai
government has decided to begin
laying the groundwork to include
Chinese language studies in university
curricula.
It will be done with China’s National
Offi ce for Teaching Chinese
as a Foreign Language (Hanban).
The joint effort will include
exchange of academics from both
countries, and make scholarships
available.
December 7-20, 2010 Tulay FORTNIGHTLY
Nuts, seeds 3,000 years old
An ancient Chinese poem said
food will stay fresh for three days if
stored in a cool place.
But in a Chinese cellar, modern
day archeologists found apricot and
melon seeds than 3,000 years ago.
The pit had about 1.7 cubic
meters of storage, large enough to
store up to 100 kilograms of fruit.
Tests show the seeds dated back
to a period between 1380 B.C. and
1120 B.C., said Sun Zhouyong,
a researcher with the Shaanxi
Provincial Institute of Archaeology.
Persistence paid off for this
Chinese monk who lived during the
Tang Dynasty (618-907).
Jianzhen, founder of the Japanese
Vinaya school of Buddhism, fi nally
landed in Japan in 753, after fi ve
tries in 10 years.
Today, 1,200 years later, one
of two statues of the monk has
successfully made the crossing
back to Jianzhen’s hometown of
Wavy blond hair. Hooked nose.
Green eyes.
Clearly foreign looks. But
the owner of these features, Cai
Junnian, lives in Yongchang County
in China’s northwest, and says he is
Chinese. Yet a DNA test in 2005
confi rmed that his ancestors are 56
percent European.
Many residents in this region,
which lies along the 7,000
kilometers. Silk Road – a trade
route that linked Asia and Europe
2,000 years ago – look so foreign,
The fruits were apparently stored
in an acidic and dry environment,
so dehydration was extremely slow
and the nuts were not carbonized
even after so many centuries, he said.
Zhouyuan site, where the
cellar was unearthed, is about
100 kilometers from Xian. It was
believed to be a dwelling place for
Duke Danfu, an early leader of the
Zhou clan.
It was known as the cradle of the
Western Zhou Dynasty (1046-771
B.C.), one of the earliest periods of
Blondies along China’s Silk Road
may be ancient Romans’ progeny
China’s written history.
The archaeological team’s total
find in the cellar included 500
apricot nuts – 108 of which were
complete with carbonized pulp, at
least 150 melon seeds and 10 plum
seeds. They also found millet and
grass seeds.
The Chinese history Book of
Rites, compiled in the Western Han
Dynasty (206 B.C.-8 A.D.), listed
melons, apricots, plums and peaches
among 31 categories of food favored
by aristocrats back then.
Statue of ancient monk in Yangzhou hometown
Yangzhou in eastern China.
During the last 10 years of his
life, Jianzhen lived in Japan and
introduced Chinese technology
and culture – encompassing such
areas as religion, art, architecture
and medicine – into society
there.
The 500-year-old wooden
statue was available for public
viewing at the Shanghai Museum. Jianzhen
anthropologists suspect they may
have descended from soldiers in
the ancient Roman army headed by
general Marcus Crassus.
To see if this is so, Chinese and
Italian anthropologists have jointly
set up an Italian Studies Center
at Lanzhou University in Gansu
province, where they will excavate
a section of the Silk Road to see if
the earth will yield answers.
After Crassus was killed in battle in
53 B.C., a 6,000-strong contingent of
his army disappeared. Some experts
think the soldiers may have escaped
to China and settled in Yongchang
County, resulting in foreign-looking
locals over the centuries. Other
experts disagree, pointing out that
interracial marriages were bound to
happen along the trade route.
Yet in recent years, Chinese
archaeologists found remains of
an ancient fortifi cation in Liqian,
a remote town on the edge of the
Gobi desert, which resembled
ancient Roman defense structures.
As well, villagers there worship
bulls and their favorite game is
much like the bullfi ghting dance of
ancient Rome.
Sinohydrosaurus fossil
Chinese fossils
homeward bound
Priceless prehistoric fossils
smuggled to Canada seven years ago
are fi nally going home to China.
The collection was returned
by the Canadian government
to the Chinese government at a
ceremony at Ottawa’s Canadian
Museum of Nature.
The 35 pieces of fossils –
consisting of Sinohydrosaurus,
plant and insect remains – came
from Liaoning province in
northeast China. Some of them
may be 130 million years old.
The pieces will be kept at
Beijing’s Geological Museum of
China.
Texas campus gets
Confucius statue
Confucius’ presence is palpable
these days on the Texas campus of
Houston Community College.
A bronze statue of the Chinese
philosopher, thinker and educator
was installed here to underline his
ideas for harmony and cooperation.
This symbol of Chinese culture
was shipped from Confucius’ home
province of Shandong.

Juniors at Ateneo De Manila University must do JEEP. No, it is not a program about
public transport, but taking the transit to our designated areas is highly recommended. It
requires one to get in touch with the grassroots, and learn about life among the marginalized.
The Junior EngagEment Program gives students a chance to gain a deeper and better
spiritual, philosophical and personal understanding of life. It requires 12 hours of community
insertion and facilitates a more critical analysis of the realities and situations of the less
fortunate.
This program does not prescribe any rigid manner of interacting with the people involved;
it is really up to the student to maximize the experience in the allotted time.
I had 10 choices which included being a
janitress, an usherette in the movies, a bagger
in malls or supermarkets and a clerk in
a parish. I went for selling corn along busy
Katipunan Avenue because it seems to offer
the most unique experience.
For two consecutive Sundays from 10
a.m. to 4 p.m., I tried my best to interact
with my co-corn vendors or ates, and at the
same time, help them sell corn.
At fi rst, it was not easy because I still had
to learn the basics of the job: peel the corn,
handle customers who complain why prices
increase and ask for discounts, withstand the
sun’s painful heat and, despite my asthma,
get used to the soot-laden air.
I made my adjustment not because I had
to, but because I wanted to. This attitude
made it easier to become detached from
any discomfort initially felt. Moreover, my
sociable ates helped make me feel at ease.
Opening up with a complete stranger is
not always easy, and I was lucky to have extroverts
for company. We started by getting
to know each other on the biographical level,
then moving on to topics such as friends,
family, occupations and dreams.
I gained two new friends, who have deeply
touched and affected me in many ways
because of this program. I still remember the
times when they laughed with me, and at the
same time protected me from the jeepney,
truck and tricycle drivers, who teased or
annoyed me with their “pssts,” malicious
looks and honks. They shooed away people
who incessantly asked me personal questions
probably because they wondered why I was
selling corn.
They offered me what they had: a stool,
water, food and even one side of a set of
headphones so I can listen to music. They
trusted me with their stories, fears and secrets,
and even gave advice to some of my
problems. They constantly reminded me to
stay under the shade of their umbrella so I
won’t burn. It was touching how they were
By Danya Go
Finding gold
even more concerned of that than I was.
They said my skin color (being Chinese is
lighter than theirs) was a giveaway that I was
not one of them. This was probably why I
tried even harder to fi t in by doing all the
things they did: I can’t change the color of
my skin, but I can control how I interacted
with them.
When I made that choice, I learned that
putting it into action mattered more than
just being sensitive to our differences.
Instead of resting, I asked my ates to sit
while I did the work wholeheartedly for
them: wave at driving customers to call
their attention even if my shoulders already
ached, help them peel the hot steaming corn
with my sore and blistered fi ngers, help carry
their buckets and sacks of corn and unload
these into the Styrofoam boxes to keep them
hot, not taking a break even if allowed one,
and say “ingat po” before they cross to the
other side of the dangerous road with speeding
cars to get or cook more corn.
After they got to know me better, and
felt my sincerity, it was not diffi cult to show
how similar we were despite the difference
in race and upbringing; we laughed at the
same jokes, feel the same pain, hurt by the
same circumstances.
One of the most precious moments I
will never forget was when an ate held my
along
Katipunan
hand and insisted that I stopped peeling
corn because she knew how much it hurt
the first time. At that very moment, I felt
her calloused fingers against mine, and
it was then that I felt her pain, and she
felt mine.
During the last Sunday of my JEEP, I
realized that I had become attached to my
ates and the entire experience of being a corn
vendor. I became teary-eyed while hugging
them goodbye, especially when they said
that they would miss me. Twelve hours were
not enough to get everything one could out
of the experience even though I tried to
maximize this opportunity.
However, these feelings only strengthened
my conviction of helping them in
my own ways. I did not want to settle for
short-term solutions that may provide
momentary happiness, such as buying
corn from them whenever I can, because
someday I won’t be able to do so, especially
after graduation.
I figured that the harder, but more
worthwhile, path is to try to alleviate their
problems with the Metro Manila Development
Authority.
They are constantly raided by the
MMDA because street vending technically
causes traffi c for both transportation
vehicles and humans. There is, however,
student
7
an inconsistency among legal documents,
a memorandum of understanding and the
mission order of MMDA personnel.
These corn vendors used to pay taxes
years ago, but they were still being raided.
There are just numerous disputes that have
not been clarified and settled, and I want to
help them by initiating change that would
hopefully lead to the long-term answer they
have been seeking for years.
My efforts in researching this dilemma,
talking to lawyers and other people who
might provide solutions might not immediately
produce concrete changes or
improvements in their lives. It may take
years before this action bears fruit. But
what matters is that something has begun
as of today.
I never thought I could learn so much
from selling corn. I used to take street
vendors for granted and never intended to
patronize them. But now I have been one
and see that it is a decent livelihood.
The JEEP program proved that sometimes
unexpected opportunities can be life
changing.
It is one thing for teachers to tell you to
help or serve the poor after graduation. But
it is different to have a first-hand experience
of reality outside our comfort zones.
I realize that having been blessed also
entails a moral obligation and responsibility
to reach out to those in need. I am
given an excellent education at Ateneo not
only for my honor, but more importantly,
for others.
I gained a new perspective on these
street vendors and learned that we should
change our view of them as insignifi cant
or even nuisances whenever we pass them
by. The vendors are ordinary people who
want to earn a living for themselves and
their families.
This occupation is more than just a
source of income, but a tradition being
passed on to future generations. Most of
the vendors on Katipunan Ave. are bloodrelatives
and some bring along their children
to train them.
I told my ates stories from my life. Meanwhile,
I also learned something about them
and myself along the way, and it changed
me. It helped me become a better person and
that is what everyone should seek.
It is not about how much wealth you
have, but it is about how precious your
experiences are, and from these the lessons
gleaned will drive personal effort to become
better individuals, to selfl essly live a life not
only for personal gain but more importantly,
for others.
T
The author is in her third year of studies in
Health Sciences. – Ed.
Tulay FORTNIGHTLY December 7-20, 2010

8
cover
December 7-20, 2010 Tulay FORTNIGHTLY
Co: fallen
hero lives on
By Teresita Ang See
ov. 23, 2010.
An overcast sky reflected the Ndark
mood of the group that had
gathered. Its members shared a common,
grievous loss.
Family and friends of slain botanist Leonard
Co were assembled to witness his cremation
at La Funeraria Paz, Inc. in Quezon City.
It has been a week since his incomprehensible
death. Yet doubt and uncertainties over
his death remained.
At Co’s behest, his ashes will be distributed
among the loves of his life. A third will go to
the Herbarium in Palanan, Isabela where he
devoted so much of his time in recent years.
Another third will be scattered among the
trees in the University of the Philippines’
Diliman campus in Quezon City where the
scientist had spent most of his life: at fi rst to
soak up knowledge, then to hone his skills
and fi nally, to give his best to serve the people.
The fi nal third of his ashes will stay with his
family, in memory of a beloved son taken
away much too soon.
Thus, peerless Co, the fallen hero, has
fi nally found his permanent home amidst
the silent trees, plants and flowers he so
loved. These stand as mute witnesses to a life
of learning and sharing, of dedication and
commitment: a life well-lived and fulfi lled.
Military opened fi re
Co, 56, was a top consultant of the Energy
Development Corp. owned by the Lopez
family. He and his team were cataloguing
plant species in the forests of Kananga, Leyte
for EDC’s Binhi greening program, which
tries to save endangered tree species through
replanting.
Along with his companions forest guard
Sofronio Cortes and their guide Julius Borromeo,
a member of the Tongonan Farmers
Association, Co was shot and killed by soldiers
belonging to the Philippine Army’s 19th Infantry
Battalion in the forests Nov. 15.
According to media reports, the military
claimed that Co and his companions were
caught in a crossfi re between the army and
the New People’s Army rebels. But this was
belied by Co’s two other companions who
escaped, Policarpio Balute and Roniño Gibe.
Balute, a farmer who served as a guide
Co is in his element as he explores the wilds seeking and cataloguing the
country’s indigenous fl ora.
for Co’s research team, said in a television
interview that there was no crossfi re when
the victims were killed. He claimed they
were deliberately shot at. “Sumigaw pa kami,
nagmamakaawa, pero hindi sila tumigil sa pagpapaputok
(we shouted and begged for mercy
but they did not stop fi ring),” Balute said.
Gibe, an EDC employee, recounted in
his affi davit: “The military only asked me,
‘nasaan yung tatlo ninyong kasama na may
armas (where are your three other armed
companions)?’” Gibe explained that only
one person was able to run away but he was
unarmed and only fi ve of them were there
unarmed and working.
At the time of this writing (Nov. 30), neither
the police nor military offi cers had taken
down the statements of Balute and Gibe.
Richard Tantoco, EDC president, said the
army was given the planned route and activities
of Co’s research team and had allowed
them to enter the area. The company likewise
issued a statement refuting the claim of Lt.
Gen. Ralph Villanueva, head of the Armed
Forces of the Philippines Central Command,
that the military’s presence was requested and
soldiers were there to protect EDC facilities
from “imminent attack.”
Lt. Col Federico Tutaan, 19th IB commander,
denied the accusation that Co and
his team were murdered. In a newscast he
said, “Let’s see the result of the investigation
[because] everybody can say anything that
they want.”
The National Democratic Front-Eastern
Visayas also disputed the military’s version of
the slain botanist’s death, saying NPA units
were located in “inaccessible” areas and that
soldiers may have mistaken the research team
for a rebel group. But that still did not give
the army reason to shoot at unarmed civilians
without fi rst checking their identity and why
they are there.
Tribute to a fallen hero
On Nov. 20, the U.P. community gathered
to pay tribute. His coffi n was laid in front of
the U.P. Oblation.
“One of your sons has returned, fulfi lling
the exhortations of the Oblation to serve
the people,” said Dr. Perry Ong, director of
the Institute of Biology at the U.P. College
of Science, himself a wildlife biologist and
Co’s friend.
Co’s death was not a loss for just his family
and friends, Ong added. Rather, in his death
“we lost a national treasure.”
“No matter where Leonard worked, he
always went back to the herbarium,” Ong
continued, referring to the vast collection of
plants and herbs which Co took care of even
if he had no offi cial appointment.
“That is Leonard for you, there is work to
be done, he just did it, never conscious of acknowledgement,
compensation or position,”
said fellow botanists.
Eulogies offered were heartfelt and touching.
In a stirring and heart-rending tribute to
a fallen hero held at the multi-purpose hall
APPEAL FOR JUSTICE
Eminent botanist Leonardo L. Co and two co-workers died a senseless
death, gunned down without reason nor provocation. In his death, the
Philippines suffered an irreparable loss (see cover stories).
His family and friends seek truth and justice for this gifted scientist
who spent his career giving his all back to his country.
Toward this end, family, friends and colleagues from the academic,
scientific and Chinese-Filipino communities have established a Leonardo
L. Co Justice Fund to cover the costs of the long prosecution process
against his killers.
Meanwhile, anyone who wish to support this noble purpose may email
Teresita Ang See , Zeny Co-Isidro, Co’s sister
, Dr. Perry Ong . Please
indicate your name, address, contact number and email address. In
reply, you will receive the account information, an acknowledgement of
your contribution, and, for purposes of transparency and accountability,
updates of the Fund status as well. Those who prefer their donations
to be noted as anonymous will likewise receive acknowledgements
and updates.
For more details, please refer to Leonardo L. Co-In Memoriam in Facebook.

of the Church of the Risen Lord at U.P. Diliman,
students and colleagues agreed with the
lament of a Co student Dr. Jeanmaire Molina:
“Nothing will be the same again.”
James LaFrankie, a Co colleague and author
of the book, Trees of Tropical Asia, said
the slain botanist reminded him of a remark
once made by Mother Teresa: that she was a
“little pencil in the hand of a writing God who
is sending a love letter to the world.”
Darwin Flores, Co’s brother-in-law, asked
LaFrankie if his book was peer-reviewed by
Co.
“No, Leonard is peerless. I asked for his
advice instead,” LaFrankie said.
Federico Lopez, EDC chairman, said the
company is saddened by the tragic loss of Co,
who had worked with the Lopez Group in
many of its conservation projects.
“His untimely and senseless death will
leave a deep void in the academe, scientifi c
community, and in all our hearts,” Lopez said.
Emily Wood, senior collections associate of
Boston-based Harvard University, commended
in a letter Co’s remarkable enthusiasm for
studying the Philippine fl ora.
Stuart Davies, of the Smithsonian Tropical
Research Institute, also remembered Co as an
industrious man who worked well into the
night documenting the plants he harvested.
Even friends in high school and college attested
to the observation of Dr. Vic Amoroso
of the Central Mindanao University: that
Co always carried a long stick and a sack for
collecting specimen wherever he was, and he
always shared whatever he had found.
Co’s father, Co Lian Seng, was in tears
when he saw a World News article in Chinese
about his son and a conference the author attended
with him at the agriculture center in
Muñoz, Nueva Ecija. He also had a copy of
Business Mirror, which carried a long article
on Co.
“I knew about his work but never realized
how important it was until now, when
everyone was talking to me about what an
irreparable loss (his death was),” he wept. “I
knew he always went up the mountains but he
always took precautions. Now, they tell me my
son was killed in a crossfi re? It could not be.”
A lifetime romance with Botany
Co’s mother Emelina said his sisters and
playmates called him a “sayang-tist,” a play on
the word scientist. He was always collecting
plants, stones and bugs for “experiments,”
making his room resemble a museum.
“He was internationally-renowned, and yet
he wasted time and energy to teach a nobody
like me,” said Bonifacio (Benny) Pasion, a
student with whom he spent four months of
research in Palanan, Isabela, a town he had
FALLEN HERO, p. 10
Si Leonard Co aka 许振忠
N
alaman ko mula sa text ng isang
kaibigan ang pagkamatay niya sa
Leyte. Naipit umano sa palitan ng
putok ng mga sundalo at rebelde. At kagyat
na nagbalik ang maraming alaala.
Alyas Siling Labuyo
Sa hayskul (isang eskuwelahang Tsinoy
sa Caloocan), nakilala ko siya bilang si
Scientist bago ko nalaman ang tunay
niyang pangalan. Yun ang tawag sa kanya
ng lahat. Kilala siyang matinik sa science,
sa chemistry, lalo na.
Ikalawang taon namin sa hayskul nang
nagkasama sa student council at sa school
paper, at mabilis na naging matalik kaming
magkaibigan. Madali naman talaga siyang
maging kaibigan. Palakaibigan siya sa lahat
ng tao. At dahil parehong mestiso, mas
natural sa amin ang mag-usap sa Filipino
kesa Hokkien.
Sa diyaryo namin, nagsulat siya sa
Filipino. Patok ang kolum niyang Mga
Tsismis sa Kantina na sinulat niya gamit
ang pen name na Siling Labuyo. Bilang
Ni Joaquin Sy
editor, nagsulat naman ako sa Tsino ng kolum
na tinawag kong 想到写到 (Ang Maisip,
Isulat) na ginamitan ko ng pen name na di
ko na matandaan kung ano.
Patok din naman ang kolum ko, pero
mas patok ang kolum ni Leonard. Yun ang
talagang inabangan ng mga kapwa mag-aaral.
May mas aanghang pa ba sa siling labuyo?
Pero ang popularidad sa hanay ng mga magaaral
ay naging inversely proportional, ‘ika
nga, sa popularidad sa ilang guro, yung mga
nakatikim ng anghang ng siling labuyo, lalo
na.
Lalo pa’t bahagi ng kolum niya ang
pamimigay ng Ulalo Awards sa mga ipinalagay
naming palpak na mga guro at sablay na mga
sistema at patakaran. Sa kanya ko nalaman
na ang ulalo pala e yung parte ng kamote
na nasira dahil kinain ng isang uri ng uod
na kung tawagi’y ulalo. Biruin mo yung
mabigyan ka ng gawad na ipinangalan sa
bulok na parte ng kamote? Hehe.
(Isang titser na nakarami ng ulalo awards
dahil saksakan ng yabang at talaga namang
cover
9
hindi gusto ng mga estudyante ang naging
abot-langit ang inis at galit sa sinumang
may kinalaman sa munti naming diyaryo.
Gumanti ito at pinatikim kami ng insulto
nang malamang kumuha kami ni Leonard
ng entrance test sa UP. Nasa 4th year na
kami nun, at dahil alang inatupag kundi
ang mga gawain sa student council at halos
kinalimutan ang pag-aaral, pareho kaming
nalagay sa section C bagama’t nanatili
namang hindi kababaan ang mga grado
namin. Mas maanghang pa sa siling labuyo
na sinabi nung titser, “Hah! May dalawa
diyan, ang lakas ng loob mag-exam sa UP.
Ang tatamad namang mag-aral. Hindi ba
nila alam na ang UP e para lang sa mga
masisipag mag-aral?” Awa ng Diyos, sa
dami ng mga ka-batch naming kumuha ng
entrance exam sa UP kasama na ang mga
valedictorian at salutatorian, kami lang ni
Leonard ang nakalusot, at walang nagawa
ang titser kundi ismiran kami tuwing
LEONARDO, p. 12
Tulay FORTNIGHTLY December 7-20, 2010

10 cover
FALLEN HERO,
(from p. 9)
fi rst written about while working in 1992 at t
Harvard’s Arnold Arboretum.
Co aspired to tell the world about the Phil-
ippines’ incredible biodiversity. He likewise e
passionately wanted science to be relevant t
and to help people, hence his focus on the
medicinal uses of plants.
In 1980, as a staff of the nongovernment
organization Community Health Education,
Services and Training in the Cordillera
Region, he helped communities there
systematize what traditional healers knew
about medicinal plants for their own primary
health care.
He updated his list and in 1989 published
the book, Common Medicinal Plants in the
Cordillera Region.
“He patiently interviewed elders and
traditional healers, learning local culture and
traditions. Drawing on his knowledge, he
recorded and systematized the people’s collective
knowledge and practice on medicinal
plants. He did not use this body of work for
career or economic advancement but offered it
back for the communities’ benefi t and use. He
traveled through dangerous mountain terrain
to reach and serve remote communities that
seemed to have been neglected by government,”
CHESTCORE said in a statement.
Molina, now with New York University,
was recruited by Co as research assistant
when he fi rst set up the biodiversity project
in Palanan in 2001. Co was then botanist for
Conservation International-Philippines doing
December 7-20, 2010 Tulay FORTNIGHTLY
From the family album
Left: a young Co on
fi eld work.
Below: With his infant
daughter Linnaei Marie
Right: Co the student,
with his self-inscribed
graffi ti showing a
sense of humor.
fi eld work in jungles there.
The places were so remote getting there
involved a 10-hour bus ride from Manila to
Cauayan, and then a 30-minute fl ight by light
aircraft over the Sierra Madres.
Not even malaria could stop Co, recalled
Molina. He told his crew that all fi eld biologists
have malaria and he himself took pride
in having two strains of it in his system.
“Nothing stopped him – a throng of
wasps, a turbulent ride on the six-seater light
aircraft, often called
a flying coffin, signal
No. 5 typhoons, even
a shotgun in his face by
an NPA rebel,” Molina
eulogized. “Just to give
you a sense of how intense
this person was:
one time he slipped
while wading in the
Palanan stream, hit his
back so bad, but instead
of squealing in pain, he
shouted, ‘Yung Eugenia
ko. May fl owers ‘yon!’
to alert us to save his
collected plant from
drifting away with the stream currents. When
he had it back in his hand, only then he did
he shout, ‘aray!’
“There is no other Filipino botanist who
comes close to Sir Leonard. He was the best of
the best. Bar none. His passing is a catastrophic
loss to this country. Whoever is culpable for
this has done our nation a great disservice. He,
who had so selfl essly given up anything for the
cause of Philippine conservation, without any
regard at all for personal gain or self-prestige,
is indeed a national treasure, an unsung hero,”
Molina added.
Co in my own memory
I did not know him personally when we
fi rst met but his name and fame preceded him.
Some years back, during a visit to the Forestry
Reserve at U.P. Los Baños, I fi rst encountered
Co and his ardent botany students. They were
attending a plant conference. We were shown
Co playing on harmonica as wife Glenda looks on.
the 100 species of bamboos at the bamboo
reserve, the many huge tall trees with their
scientifi c names, which the students recited
without looking. That was the fi rst time I
learned that sarsaparilla (the root beer drink
from my childhood) is a tree. I was also told
that when it is stripped almost bare of its bark,
then there must be an unwanted pregnancy
on campus. (The broth of the boiled bark is
believed to induce miscarriages.)
As I listened to his passionate lectures that
day, it occurred to me that this person, with
his thick glasses, not only talked like my late
husband, an anthropologist, but even looked
a little like him. They both had encyclopedic
knowledge about their fi elds and how they
loved to talk about it!
I thought then that dedicated scientists
must act and talk like that. I was to learn
only at the funeral that like my late husband,
Co was also the eldest son. Yet with both
men, commitment to their lifelong pursuit
of knowledge and the truth had made them
neglect traditional fi lial duties the family’s
fi rst-born must bear: to take over the family
business and look after their parents.
His meager income as a scientist on government
payroll did not allow Co to support his
parents fi nancially.
The next encounter was at U.P. Diliman,
in a conference on conservation and the
environment. If my recollection is correct, it
was after typhoons Reming, Ondoy, Basyang
and other equally devastating typhoons but
before the Quezon fl ashfl oods last year that
wreaked havoc on a vast area. My reaction
then was, how passionately and intelligently

the participants laid down the facts, their
refl ections, recommendations and warnings.
Where do we go from here
Renowned lawyer Atty. Evalyn Ursua and
human rights defender and writer Dr. Carol
Araullo talked to the family about the absolute
need for an autopsy but they were reluctant.
“The Maguindanao massacre, the Hong
Kong hostage crisis, were high-profi le cases,
where are they now? We are small fry, nothing
will come out of it, so why waste time and
resources?” the elder Co said.
“Even if nothing comes out of it, we owe
it to Leonard and other botanists who may
come after him to try and fi nd out what happened.
At the end of the day, our conscience
will not be bothered by the thought that we
failed even to take the fi rst steps to fi nd out
the truth,” I appealed to the father.
Co’s friends echoed the same appeal to his
wife Glenda to encourage the family to begin
to dig up the facts.
A talk between Co’s son-in-law, Dr. Bobby
Austria, and forensic pathologist Dr. Raquel
Fortun fi nally convinced the family elders
to agree.
Fortun explained that even if Co was
already embalmed, autopsy could still – and
must – be done. The fi rst step was to take a
full body x-ray to determine if there were slugs
still left inside.
Fortun did the autopsy and went to Leyte
to re-autopsy Co’s two companions there.
The family has also engaged Ursua as legal
counsel.
Family, friends and colleagues expressed
doubts that the botanist was indeed killed
in a crossfi re, and demanded justice. They
also noted the deafening silence of Malacañang.
Not even a squeak of condolence
and concern came from the President, the
family said. Perhaps, the President bought
the military’s line that Co was an NPA rebel.
“Leonard always had a big heart for the
poor, but for the past 20 years, he was apolitical.
As he became (increasingly) engrossed
with his profession, he didn’t even want to be
concerned with burning political issues of the
times, which he claimed, was pointless and
distracted him from work,” said Co’s sisterin-law,
Monette Flores, who was also involved
in his work in Palanan. “How could someone
like that be an NPA (member)?”
Tragic as his death was, perhaps it was
fi tting that Co died while tagging trees and
collecting seeds for reforestation projects.
Today, he lives on in his namesake the
Raffl esia Leonardi, a parasitic plant species and
one of the biggest fl owers in the Philippines;
in his book on the Cordilleras’ medicinal
plants; and his daughter Linnaei Marie, 8,
named after the Father of Taxonomy, the
Swedish Carl Linnaeus.
T
I
t is almost Christmas, and honestly,
I’m half-dreading the deluge of toys
and clothes my kids will get. I’m quite
picky about the toys they play with, and I
couldn’t really go around telling my friends
not to give any.
Experts say children need to play because
their development depends on it.
But they don’t really need toys. Everyday
items at home, as long as they’re made
safe, are good “toys” for kids. My oneyear-old
likes banging things so I give
her an old permanent marker with the
cap glued on. It’s great for banging but
still safe to walk around with.
Children can be quite happy with rocks
and twigs. In fact, when my toddler and
two friends have a play date, I bring out
all the colorful toys we’ve inherited or been
gifted. Instead, the three kids took turns
putting rocks in a bucket and pouring them
out again.
For older kids, try to postpone their
addiction to electronic toys. At the very
least, try to have a balance of electronic toys
and toys that stimulate their creative juices.
Unfortunately for me, my husband works
in information technology and I work on a
computer the whole day. My toddler knows
how to work the computer and tatay’s iPhone!
But that’s another story.
If you really want to buy toys, use this as
parenting
Too many toys
By Meah Ang See
a guide: sand, balls, blocks.
These are manipulative toys
that let children use their
imagination. The most important
factor is YOU.
The parents or caregivers
are crucial so children actually
learn from what they
are playing with. When the
three toddlers were piling
rocks, and we three moms
were chatting away, one of us would keep
counting with the kids as they took out the
rocks one by one.
My kids have all the possible permutations
of blocks – wooden cubes, stacking cups,
Lego, Duplo, SmartCubes. I also
use the playpen as a ball pit where they love
Home made clay:
Mix together
2 1/2 cups fl our
1 cup salt
1 cup water
Food coloring
Store in refrigerator.
11
sinking and disappearing under the balls.
The kids don’t have sand, but we do have
clay, and we go through quite a bit of clay
every month. A non-toxic biodegradable
alternative to clay is to make your own with
fl our, salt and water.
Over the past couple of years, friends
have given my kids some amazing musical
instruments, books, and blocks. I don’t
know how these could get any better. Also,
the toys are piling up!
I keep toys in different boxes and take
them out one at a time. Toddlers have notoriously
short attention spans. My daughter
would play with a toy for three days straight
and then move on to the next one. These
days, toys are taken out of the box every
fourth day.
If I leave the toys in her sight, she’ll want
to take out all the toys, but would only play
with one item. It’s too much work for me to
keep hounding her to pack away. When she’s
only playing with one or two items, then
packing away isn’t such an ordeal.
This season, however, I don’t want to
buy more boxes. What I want to do is to
teach my daughter to give some toys away.
Unfortunately, this idea cannot be taught
well to children below six.
When my four-year-old niece was leaving
for the United States for good, her mother
discussed with her about giving her toys
to my daughter. The child agreed. When I
went to pick up the toys, including a childsized
plastic “gas range with oven,” my niece
bawled her eyes out because she wanted to
bring her favorite oven to
the U.S.
Agreeing with mommy,
in principle, is something a
child easily does. Children
want to please mommy, so
they’d say yes to practically
everything. Once reality
sets in, the crying begins.
For children below six,
parents may want to give
the toys away without them knowing.
Be sure to give away toys that the child
has not played with for a couple of months.
When the child had just played with something
a week ago, the toy is still in mind.
TOYS, p. 13
Tulay FORTNIGHTLY December 7-20, 2010

12
cover
LEONARDO
(mula p. 9)
nakikita kami, hanggang sa nagtapos kami ng
hayskul at parang kambal na siling labuyong
tuluyang nawala sa lalamunan niya.)
Naunsiyaming experimento
Pero ang talagang unforgetable experience
namin ni Leonard, ‘ika nga, e ang paggawa
ng rocket na tinawag naming Experimenter
1. May katumbas siempreng pangalang Tsino:
实验者一号. Bumuo kami ng isang komite
para sa proyekto, na gayong plinano namin
nang kami-kami lang e agad na nalaman ng
buong eskuwela.
Nag-half day ang eskuwela nung araw ng
launching. Nandun ang lahat, mula prinsipal
hanggang mga hardinero para saksihan
ang dakilang sandali. At tunay na napakaelaborate
ng preparasyon namin. Sabihin pa’y
bitin ang hininga ng lahat nang mag-umpisa
ang countdown. Ang mga dalawang libong
pares na mga mata’y nakatutok sa kumikinang
na rocket na mga dalawang piye ang haba at
mga tatlong pulgada ang diyametro, na buong
yabang na nakakasa sa gitna ng basketball
court, nakatutok sa bughaw na langit.
Kasabay ng dismayadong pag-aalisan
ng mga tao pagkatapos ng malakas-lakas
na pagsabog na nag-angat sa rocket nang
mga lampas-tao, nagsagawa ang komite ng
mabilisang assessment, at nagkasundo kami
sa isang malaking kunsuwelo: napaka-precise
ng countdown!
Pagkatapos nun e gumawa kami ng totoong
seryosong assessment. Sinikap naming sagutin
ang tanong: bakit hindi umabot ang rocket
sa himpapawid? At dahil nahamon ang
amor propio, tahimik na gumawa kami ng
pangalawang rocket, na tinawag naming…
ano pa nga ba kundi Experimenter 2
o 实验者二号.
Hindi na namin ini-anunsiyo ang
launching ng ikalawang rocket. Kami-kami
na lang. Ginawa namin yun isang hapon
sa dulo ng school grounds, makalampas ng
basketball court. Pinalayo ni Leonard ang
ilang batang noo’y naglalaro sa malapit. “Alis
kayo d’yan, pag sumabog yan, malakas pa sa
dalawang granada,” aniya.
Muli, sakto ang countdown namin, pero di
uli pumaimbulog, ‘ika nga, ang Experimenter
2. Wala ring narinig na pagsabog na malakas
pa sa dalawang granada. At nang di namin
namalayan, habang gumagawa kami ng
mabilisang assessment (uli) kung bakit hindi
lumipad (uli) ang pangalawang rocket, inipon
ng isang anak ng hardinero ang mga natirang
pulbura at ibinalot sa palara at ibinalibag
sa pader. At kasabay ng putok na totoong
malakas pa sa dalawang granada, bahagya
pang yumanig ang lupa.
December 7-20, 2010 Tulay FORTNIGHTLY
Si Leonard kasama ang ilang centennial graduates sa UP. Dahil may
nawalang grado sa physics, inabot ng ilang dekada bago siya pormal na
nagtapos ng BA bagama’t kinilala nang higante sa kanyang larangan.
Si Leonard, ang guro, sa piling ng mga estudyante.
Romansa sa halaman
Ewan kung may kinalaman sa naunsiyaming
romansa sa rocketship, nabaling ang hilig
ni Leonard sa mga halaman, sa mga ferns
lalung-lalo na. Pero kung iisipin ko ngayon,
mukhang ang pagkahilig niya sa mga halaman
e bunga ng pagkahilig niya sa halamang
gamot o medicinal plants, na resulta naman
ng pagkahilig niya sa acupuncture at Chinese
medicine.
(Nalaman ko sa burol na aktibong
nanggamot sa UP si Leonard gamit ang
kanyang mga acupuncture needles at mga
halamang gamot. Ginawa niyang klinika
ang opisina ng isang titser na naging matalik
niyang kaibigan. Tila yun ang simula ng
pagsusulong niya ng traditional medicine
sa mga komunidad, isang larangang tunay
siyang nakilala, bukod pa sa pangangalaga sa
kagubatan at kalikasan.)
Sa ano’t ano man, yun ang simula ng
madalas na pag-akyat namin sa bundok,
kasama ang apat o limang pinakamatatalik na
kaibigan. At kung ang pag-akyat sa bundok,
para sa aming mga kaibigan ni Leonard
ay mainam na ehersisyo at pagbibigkis sa
barkada at pagkakataon na rin para ‘ika nga’y
pagmasdan ang walang hanggang kagandahan
ng kalikasan mula sa tuktok ng bundok, yun
ay pinakamainam na pagkakataon para sa
kanya para mangalap ng mga specimen.
Ang ganda! Ang ganda!
Ayon sa mga ulat sa pahayagan isang araw
pagkatapos niyang masawi sa Leyte, at sa
tribute sa kanya ni Dr. Perry Ong sa Church
of the Risen Lord sa UP, bilang sikat na
botanist at forest conservationist, si Leonard
ay lagi nang may dalang bag na lalagyan ng
mga plant specimen.
Ang totoo, yun ay ugaling taglay niya na
nun pa mang nagkakasama kami sa pag-akyat
sa mga bundok sa mga huling taon namin sa
hayskul. Lagi siyang may dalang sakong PP,
at paakyat man o pababa ng bundok, madalas
na natitigil kami pag napapasigaw siya ng
“Ang ganda! Ang ganda!” pag may nakitang
halaman na ala namang espesyal na atraksiyon
para sa aming mga kasama niya.
Nabanggit din sa mga ulat ang hilig ni
Leonard sa harmonica. Sa mga litrato niya
sa Facebook na inilagay ng mga kaibigan
at kasama niya sa trabaho, may ilang litrato
siyang nagha-harmonica, sa gubat o kung
saang lugar marahil ng pagpupulong, habang
nagpapahinga.
Yun din ay ugaling taglay niya na nun
pang hayskul. Bukod sa kilalang mahusay sa
science at sa pagsusulat, kilala siyang magaling
sa harmonica, at laging may nakasukbit na
harmonica sa bulsa.
At sa tuktok ng bundok, habang
nagpapahinga pagkatapos makapangalap ng
sapat na panggatong sa bonfi re na pantaboy
sa lamok at lamig, at pag napagod at nagsawa
na sa kantiyawan at tawanan, madalas na
nililibang kami ng konsiyerto sa harmonica
ni Leonard.
Ano’ng ulam natin?
Dahil nasa probinsiya ang mga magulang,
tumira ako kina Leonard sa unang taon namin
sa UP. Noon, bukod sa double-deck na higaan
naming dalawa, sumikip ang kuwarto namin
sa mga halamang specimen na inipit sa diyaryo
at tabla. At madalas, pag tinatanong ko siya
kung ano ang ulam, ang isinasagot niya’y ang
scientifi c name ng talong, sitaw, kalabasa,
ampalaya o kung anumang ulam namin.
Nung mga panahong yun ko siya
natulungan sa pagsasalin sa Ingles ng isang
libro sa Chinese medicinal plants. Una’y niidentify
niya ang mga halamang mayroon sa
Pilipinas, inalam kung saan-saang rehiyon
matatagpuan ang iba’t ibang halamang gamot,
pati ang mga local names, at pinagtulungan
naming isalin ang indikasyon, preparasyon,
dosis at iba pang impormasyon tungkol sa
halamang gamot. Kung iniisip ko ngayon, tila
yun ang unang pagtatangka niyang makagawa
ng libro ng mga halamang gamot.
Dumalang ang pagkikita namin nang
lumipat ako ng tirahan sa ikalawang taon sa
unibersidad. Pareho mang nasa UP, bihira na
kaming magkita dahil magkaiba ang kurso,

at nagkaroon na rin ng kanya-kanyang
pinagkaabalahan. Gayunma’y may isang
panahon ding nagkasama kami sa Samapil
o Samahan ng mga Mag-aaral ng Pilipino.
Nakasabay namin sina Reuel Aguila, Amante
del Mundo at Jarius Bondoc, ngayo’y mga
kilalang manunulat, guro, peryodista.
Nalaman kong madalas pa rin siyang
umakyat ng bundok, kasama sina Apo Chua,
Benny Tan, Ang Put at iba pang kaibigan at
guro sa UP. Ako nama’y hindi na nakasama
dahil bukod sa pag-aaral, nagtrabaho ako
bilang reporter at tagasalin sa Chinese
Commercial News, ang diaryo ng mga
Yuyitung.
May isang panahong nalaman ko na
nagtatrabaho siya sa herbarium sa UP, at
naisip ko na tiyak na masaya siya sa piling ng
mga halaman. Nagkita rin kami sa minsang
reunion ng mga kaeskuwela sa hayskul, at
bagama’t naging kaibigan ko siya sa facebook
noong isang taon, huli kaming nagkita sa
pagdiriwang ng ika-80 kaarawan ng kanyang
ama nung 2005. Hindi kami masyadong
nagkabalitaan sa huling pagkikitang yun,
pero nalaman kong nasa UP pa rin siya,
at mukhang masaya naman sa kanyang
ginagawa.
Nang mabalitaan ko ang tungkol sa
kanyang pagkasawi, at saka ko nalaman
mula sa mga ulat sa pahayagan at mula sa
testimoniya sa facebook ng mga kaibigan
at kasama niya sa gawain na siya’y naging
higante sa kanyang larangan, isang botanist
(taxonomist, lalo na) at forest conservationist
na tunay na prominente at respetado hindi
lang sa Pilipinas kundi maging sa ibang
bansa.
Ang bilin sa pamilya
Medyo kakatwa na pag yumayao ang isang
taong tunay na malapit sa atin, madalas na
ang gusto nating binabalikan sa alaala ay ang
mga nakakatuwang karanasan at pangyayari
kaugnay ng taong yun. Pagkatanggap sa
text ng kaibigan tungkol sa pagkasawi
ni Leonard, ikinuwento ko sa misis ko
ang mga nakakatuwa at nakakatawang
pinagsamahan namin ni Leonard, at nang
hindi namamalaya’y tumatawa na ako nang
malakas, isang bagay na bihira ko nang gawin
sa nakalipas na maraming taon.
Ang mga ulat at testimoniya tungkol
kay Leonard ay pawang nagsasabing isang
napakalaking kawalan para sa bayan ang
pagkawala niya. Irreplaceable, sabi nila.
Napakabata pa nga niya para sumakabilangbuhay.
Matanda lamang siya sa akin nang
isang taon at kalahati. Pero mukhang matagal
niya nang napag-isipan ang hindi maiiwasang
pagpanaw ng bawat tao.
Naibilin niya sa kanyang maybahay,
nalaman ko sa mga ulat, na gusto niyang
i-cremate siya pag siya’y pumanaw. At
gusto niyang ang isang bahagi ng kanyang
abo ay ilagay sa mga puno sa UP grounds,
ang isang bahagi ay ikalat sa kabundukang
kanyang minahal, at ang isang bahagi’y iuwi
ng kanyang pamilya. Malinaw na yun ang
paraan niya ng pagpapakita ng pagmamahal
sa pamantasan, sa kalikasan at sa pamilya.
Masikhay, masigasig, matapat
Si Leonard ay isang Tsinoy. Panganay
siya sa anim na magkakapatid, at siya ang
tanging lalaki. Ang implikasyon ay kailangang
ipagpatuloy niya at palaguin ang negosyo ng
ama at ihanda ang sarili sa pagiging padre de
pamilya.
Pero tila hindi siya nagka-interes na
manahin at palaguin ang restoran ng ama,
na noong magkasama kami’y paboritong
kainan na ng mga Tsinoy sa Caloocan. Mas
pinili niyang iukol ang talino at panahon,
ang kanyang buong buhay, sa minamahal
niyang mga halaman, sa mga bundok, gubat
at kalikasan.
Sa kabila nito, nalaman ko kay Co Lian
Seng sa masinsinang pag-uusap namin sa
lamay sa Paz na tunay na ikinararangal niya
ang mga nagawa at narating ng kaisa-isang
anak na lalaki sa pinili nitong larangan.
Batid niya na ang panganay niya’y tunay na
pambihira, karapat-dapat ipagmalaki ng sino
mang ama, Tsinoy man o hindi.
(Sa isa sa mga tribute para sa anak na
inorganisa ng mga kaibigan at nakasama sa
gawain, sinabi ni Mr. Co na may dalawang
bagay na ipinagdiinan niya sa kanyang
panganay. Una, may ginto sa mga libro.
Ikalawa, 为人民服务. At ito ay ipinaliwanag
niyang “pagtulong sa kapwa”. Ang totoo,
yun ang islogang noo’y usong-uso sa mga
kabataan: Paglingkuran ang sambayanan.
At sinabi ni Mr. Co na natutuwa siya dahil
hindi nakalimutan ng anak ang dalawa niyang
pangaral.)
Kung kaya naman naiisip ko na namatay
man si Leonard nang masyadong maaga,
isa marahil kunsuwelo na nabuhay siya sa
paraang pinili at ginusto niya, kasabay nito’y
may tunay na respeto ng mga kaibiga’t kakilala
at pagmamalaki ng pamilya.
Sinasabi na sa pagpili sa pangalang Tsino
ng anak, inilalakip ng isang amang Tsino
ang mga katangiang gusto niyang taglayin
ng anak. Mula nang maging matalik ko
siyang kaibigan, hindi ko na tinawag si
Leonard na Scientist, at bagama’t nagusap
nga kami sa Filipino sa halip na
wikang Tsino, tinawag ko siya sa kanyang
pangalang Tsino: 振忠.
振,masikhay at masigasig. 忠, matapat.
Masikhay, masigasig at matapat sa mga
gawain, sa pamantasan at kalikasan. Gayon
siya laging maaalaala.
T
(Mga larawan mula sa Facebook page na
Leonardo L. Co: In Memoriam)
TOYS, from p. 11
He will look for it. Something the child has
not seen in two months has most probably
been forgotten.
Also, leave sentimental value outside the
door. Most of the time, parents do not give
away the toys given by their best friend or
by ahma. Since they are close relatives and
friends, they should be the fi rst to understand
your toy traffi c dilemma.
Older kids are a bit easier. Parents can
create rules where they have to give away
one toy for every toy they receive on their
birthdays and Christmas.
It is quite obvious if the gift is a toy or not.
Before tearing off the wrapper, the child has
to give up one of the old ones. Make sure the
child gives up a still usable toy. Broken toys are
13
thrown away (or better yet, given to recyclers),
not exchanged for a new one.
Try to line up an activity where the
child sees where his toy goes. For example,
Museo Pambata has a yearly Christmas toy
drive where 2,000 children are invited to
the museum and given a gift before they
go home.
Jollibee has the longest running toy drive
with their MaAga ang Pasko. The child might
also want to think of giving gifts to his yaya’s
children, or the house helper’s grandchildren,
or to kids in the neighborhood.
I’ve talked with my toddler about giving
away some toys. She has refused, as
expected. A compromise we have come up
with is to give the toys to shiobe. (Then I
“ask” one-year-old shiobe to give away the toys
).
T
Tulay FORTNIGHTLY December 7-20, 2010

14
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INTSIK, from p. 16
has made them indifferent now, she surmises.
A doctor, still practicing internal medicine
at 60, recalls no experiences with the word.
“Perhaps, it’s because I’m a doctor,” she says,
“because I’m a professional, so I don’t encounter
the word. I think it depends on how
it was said, anyway.”
Many of the middle-aged respondents
were rather casual. Chuck, 51, says he is not
affected by the word because it seems that a
lot of Filipinos just don’t know what other
word to use to refer to the Chinese.
“Tsino is the right word but it sounds too
formal to many,” he says.
Others – Charles, 34; Albert, 50; and
Letty, 54 – likewise seem to take little offense
in the word. “There used to be discrimination
in the word, but now it’s just another word
for Chinese,” Letty says.
Danny, 55, has similar opinions. “I know
it’s sometimes meant derogatorily, but in the
time that has passed, it just doesn’t matter as
much anymore.”
Miriam observes that today, the common
population will ask, “Intsik kayo?” without
malice. “Intsik seems to have become part of
the vernacular in referring to Tsinoy,” she says.
“Connotations have evolved; social changes, especially
assimilation, have much to do with it.”
Of course, there were those who voiced
negative opinions about the word.
Tulay Fortnightly assistant editor Meah
Ang See observes that somehow, Intsik packs
more punch if used as an insult.
“And there’s the usual stereotype,” she
recounts, “‘Intsik ka? Ang yaman mo siguro.’”
Grace, 47, also feels uncomfortable whenever
she hears people say Intsik, even if she’s
never had any unpleasant experiences being
called one.
One girl recounted a sad story, “I went
to a jewelry store with my mom. We looked
at some pieces but didn’t buy any piece. As
we left, the saleslady said, ‘kayong mga Intsik
talaga.’ I was shocked and hurt and regretted
not saying anything,” she said.
The Tsinoy youth also appear to be fi rm
about the word’s negativity. Eugen, 30, has
had no recountable direct experiences of
hostility but has indeed heard the term being
used against the Chinese.
“Usually they say it to generalize Chinese
people, as in, ‘Ganyan talaga mga Intsik,
kuripot,’” he says. “I think the word is racist,
kind of like the word ‘nigger’ for black people
(African Americans).”
Michael, 22, also dislikes the word. “It
sounds derogatory to the Chinese community,”
he says.
As for Pinoys, there seemed to be a distinct
awareness of the term’s complexity, as well as
an effort to be politically correct.
“Although Intsik is a general term for Chinese
people, I’ve been told that it’s derogatory,
much like Indio is for Filipinos,” Veda, 20,
explains. “That’s why I prefer using Tsinoy
or Chinese.”
Malou, 43, also regards Instik as a negative
term referring to anybody with Chinese
blood, like calling a black person “negro.”
“I don’t use Instik,” she says. “When I
want to be politically correct, I use Tsinoy or
Chinese. Otherwise, I use Chengwa. I don’t
know where I got that word, but I’ve been
using it for a long time – only when in the
company of my immediate family and closest
friends, none of whom are Chinese. Moreover,
I’ve heard Tsinoy friends use Intsik to refer to
their fellow Chinese. I’m not sure if it was in
a negative way, so I just stick to using Chinese
or Tsinoy.”
Ultimately, of course, this is only a tiny
look at the big picture. This small sample,
not to be taken as representative of the whole,
still serves its purpose: we see how different
generations – and even different people within
the generation – have come to feel about
something deeply rooted in their history.
Some have let the bitter past of the Intsik go
while some were simply spared from it. Some
are indifferent to its usage while some remain
fi rm that it is a demeaning name.
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15
Plausibly, consequentially, there now seems
to be an effort to be politically correct; but
of course, this consciousness cannot be said
of everyone.
In the end, perhaps the Intsik’s current
identity, while desired by many to be cleanly
defi ned and dissected, simply cannot fi t into
any small box. After all, Intsik involves extensive
questions, whether as a name, a person,
or an identity. Is it about the bloodline,
like an automatic entry pass? Or is it about
language?
Many Tsinoy teens deny or downplay their
ability to speak Mandarin or Hokkien, while
many foreigners have a far better grasp on
Mandarin than they do. Is this an anomaly
and how does it matter?
What about those who have let Chinese
traditions and practices fall into the forgotten
past? What of the pureblooded Chinese living
wholely as a Filipino? Who is Intsik? What
does it mean to be Intsik?
T
Tulay FORTNIGHTLY December 7-20, 2010

16
feature
Tulay FORTNIGHTLY
Dec. 7-20, 2010
I
By Merryan Jim
ntsik.
Not too long ago, this word, falling
on lanlang ears, would have incurred
a variety of reactions: a dirty look, a muttered
curse under the breath, maybe even an
outright quarrel. Indeed, there was a time
when tension existed heavily between many
Filipinos and the local Chinese.
They even had snide names for each other.
Intsik, initially used without malice to refer to
the Chinese, began to be a derogatory term,
Perhaps the Intsik’s current
identity, while desired by
many to be cleanly defi ned and
dissected, simply cannot fi t into
any small box. After all, Intsik
involves extensive questions,
whether as a name, a person,
or an identity. Is it about the
bloodline, like an automatic
entry pass? Or is it about
language?
December 7-20, 2010 Tulay FORTNIGHTLY
especially in racists slurs like Intsik tsekwa and
Intsik baboy or Instik beho tulo laway. The
older generation still share bitter memories
of this, hence, their younger ones’ disapproval
of the term.
It was one such person who saw an
anomaly involving the word and felt enough
concern to take action.
Jeanette Tan, whose daughter was taking a
Mandarin language elective at the University of
the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City, noticed
a Chinese-language subject entitled Intsik.
Puzzled by this choice of word, she emailed
history professor Teresita Ang See, and so the
ball started rolling.
“I believe that it’s important for U.P. to
change the title,” Tan said. “It would be more
appropriate if they named it for what it is:
a Mandarin subject. It would also give due
respect to the Chinese community.”
She further shared, “I think people don’t
understand how we Chinese people feel whenever
they refer to us with that term. They’ve
become complacent in using it. It shows that
they are not properly informed, that they’ve
forgotten about the history of the term, or
that they simply use it to make fun of us.”
Over the course of exchanged emails and
discussions, it became clear that indeed such
a title was inappropriate, not only because of
its background as a derogatory racist term, but
because it was an inaccurate term for Mandarin.
As Ang See puts it, “If the subject is named
Intsik, then they should be teaching Hokkien,
not Mandarin. Intsik is used specifi cally to
refer to the Chinese in the Philippines whose
lingua franca is Hokkien, not Mandarin.
Furthermore, since the etymology of Intsik
carries with it a pejorative sense, why use it to
refer to the Chinese-language subject? They
shouldn’t Filipinize the term for Chinese if
the context used is wrong; Tsino would be a
far better title.”
In his article, “From Sangley to Chinoy,”
Michael Tan, an anthropology professor and
U.P. Dean of the College of Social Sciences
and Philosophy, explains that Intsik came
from the Hokkien word for paternal uncle,
and that despite its original usage as a term
of respect, the word inexplicably fell into corrupted
connotations.
Today, the common term used to refer to
the local Chinese is Tsinoy. This is a refl ection
of the local Chinese now signifi cantly having a
Filipino sense of identity, which they and the
Filipinos around them recognize and affi rm.
Times have really changed. The question
is how much. Does angkong and ahma really
detest the word? What about uncle or auntie?
Does the Tsinoy youth share their sentiments?
A small informal survey was done to fi nd
some answers.
These are what a few seniors have to say.
For Rosie, 76, Intsik is just Tagalog for Chinese.
“If Filipinos insult us using Intsik, then so
do we insult them when we call them Huanna.”
Another grandmother, at 73, recalls how
she lived through the time when Intsik was
really what people called them; perhaps that
INTSIK, p. 15
Intsik
politics