The Pioneering Chinese Settlers of General Santos City
Kung Hei Fat Choy! Gong Xi Fa Cai!
Today, January 26, 2009, our Chinese brothers and sisters all around the world are celebrating the Chinese New Year or what is known in Mainland China as the Lunar New Year or Spring Festival.
Here in General Santos City, a good number of Chinese Families open their homes to their friends starting on the eve of the New Year and wait for the clock to strike 12 before they set loose their fireworks into the sky. And that’s where their culinary feasts begin in their individual homes.
In my travels around Southeast Asia, I have noticed that it is only in the Philippines where the Chinese New Year is not declared as a public holiday considering the large ethno-Chinese population that we have. A major portion of Philippine business is dominated by 2nd and 3rd generation Chinese mestizos now and we once had a lady President, Corazon Cojuangco-Aquino who traces her roots in China. Even our national hero, Jose Rizal has Chinese blood.
In one way or the other, most of us have some traces of Chinese ethnicity and it is quite a shame that we don’t give the Chinese New Year its much deserved place in the country’s calendar of holidays as we should just like the other countries in Asia.
Anyway, here in South Cotabato, the pioneering Chinese of General Santos City arrived in her shores long before it became known as the Municipality of Buayan in the mid-1940s. Most of them set up diverse businesses in the area such as rice and corn trading, livestock, general merchandise, copra trading, hardware, construction, and realty, among others.
As a tribute to them and in celebration of the Chinese New Year, here is the earliest photo taken of the Pioneering Chinese Settlers in GenSan, most who came from Amoy, China, taken sixty years ago in 1949, when then Consul Mih of China visited this part of the Philippines known as Dadiangas, Buayan Municipality.
This picture was taken at the General Santos Park, along the coastline of the city, Silway District. The buildings on the left is where Rey Store is now while the buildings on the right are the ones behind Kimball compound. Consul Mih is the person with the mark X while the one with two X marks is trader Ang Lin Bee. CLICK ON THE PICTURE TO ENLARGE IT.
The rest of the Chinese settlers in the photo above are Go Sek Yu, brothers Rubi Ang (agri-business/realty) and Ang Ling Bee (owns Angkalian Building, among others), Yu Se Chong (Hardware & Sarangani Restaurant at the former ChowKing Pioneer area), Yu Se Peng (agri-business/realty), Tony Diya (Rice Mills), Jose Lao (agri-business), brothers Tan Pi and Rudy Go Huy (realty including the Veranda building, livestock and agri), and Pedro and Seraphin Lim of Lim Bros. Harddware.
The rest are Boo Che Lu (trading), Conrado Du (Rice & Corn trading), Jose Abawag (shipping/ manager of Compania Maritima), Tony Sun (general merchandise), Go Siong (copra), Lu Ten (agri trading), Go Tai Ching (Lucky 7 Hardware) and Jose “Agurang” Catolico, Sr. who was not Chinese but considered then as the “Godfather of the Chinese”.
To all these Chinese pioneers and the others who came right after them like the Chiongbians, the Teng Brothers (Kimball & TSP), Johnny Ang, the Yaphokuns, the Ceds, Fred Ang-Sanidad, Johnny Tan, etc., Bariles Republic offers this post as a salute for your contribution in making General Santos what it is now.
To sha. Shie shie.
Photo is courtesy of Sir Jong Balagtas Ramirez’ WHO IS WHO, DATABANK, Volume IV, 1995. Copies of Volume VIII, 2007 are now available.
Related posts:
- Gen. Santos City: TUNA CAPITAL
- Ric’s, the oldest barbershop in General Santos City
- General Santos City Doctor’s Hospital E.R. Staff, Thank You!
- Improved General Santos City Park to be unveiled August 7, 2009
- Bulilit TV Ad ushers in the new “Camella Homes General Santos”
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Bariles is a Filipino word for “Tuna”, the primary source of income of the people of General Santos City which hosts 6 of the Philippines’ 8 tuna canneries and more than 80% of its tuna processing plants.
Anonymouse :) Says:
@Manoy Avel, Wong hei batchoy … ehe, kung bei watsay… ehe (again!), kung choy patyon!
if you mean Jan (father of internet in gensan) of the “Seds,” it is CED as in Mama CED, Papa CED, i love you… ajejeje.
Posted on January 26th, 2009 at 3:03 PM
Rue Ramas Says:
On this Chinese New Year day, I would like to send my special greetings to three Chinese friends who touched my life… Charles Lim, Caloy Yusepeng, and George Sandoval…
For the record: When Gen. Santos started the NLSA, he prohibited the Chinese from doing business with the settlement. (Per account of Rafael Aquino, the secretary of Gen. Santos)
Comment: If we will have a Chinese special holiday in the Philippines, then most of the countries must follow suit. Chinese are all over the globe, thus we have Chinatowns in so many countries. And what if the Jews would also demand a Jews’ Day? They are also scattered all over. Did we ever have an IP’s Day?
Posted on January 26th, 2009 at 3:38 PM
sheng Says:
Gong Xi Fa Cai to all Chines settlers in General Santos City!
shengs last blog post..That I was Born for You, It is Written in the Stars
Posted on January 26th, 2009 at 4:08 PM
bariles Says:
@Madame Rue, am referring to the Chinese New Year and not any special tribal day for Chinese, or Jews, or whatever race. That’s a different issue altogether. With regard to Gen. Santos prohibiting the chinese from doing business with the NLSA before, if that were true, it did not seem to stop them from going on doing their thing and making a living. In fact, until this present day, they still are all here building these huge infrastructures everywhere, going into large fishing ventures with other countries and helping build GenSan’s economy.
Posted on January 26th, 2009 at 4:10 PM
jinky Says:
Kung Hei Fat Choy, everyone!
My father used to work with the Yusepeng’ in the 70′s. To continue Mang Caloy’s legacy, some of his children and their spouses have their businesses established here in Gensan.
jinkys last blog post..Visayan Movies
Posted on January 26th, 2009 at 4:21 PM
bariles Says:
@Anonymouse, hahaha! To the rescue ka na naman with your very keen eye. Thanks for pointing out another mistake of mine. Sowee… isda po lamang. Hehehe.
Posted on January 26th, 2009 at 4:55 PM
tanchi Says:
happy new year to our fellow chinese:)
tanchis last blog post..The Good Thing About Having a Family
Posted on January 26th, 2009 at 6:43 PM
gensanite Says:
“Kung Hei Fat Choy”, KUYA AVEL…
thanks for this post/tribute… it gives us a glimpse of our heritage…
Posted on January 26th, 2009 at 6:45 PM
Daxi Weida Says:
Happy new year Kuya Avel! May pagkakaiba ba ang meaning ng Kung Hei Fat Choy at Gong Xi Fa Cai, kuya?
Ganda ng old photo. Dyan ako sa lugar na yan (sa may Compania Maritima) naiwan ng nanay ko minsan noong bata pa ako. Mangiyak-ngiyak ako buti na lang nakita ako ng kapitbahay namin who was a worker of Compania. Of course, this happened at a much later period.
I do not think even the Chinese business people will be amenable to adding another day to the schedule of holidays in this country. Another holiday is another loss of productivity. Let us pay homage to our Chinese ancestry in another way.
Opinion ko lang, Kuya.
Daxi Weidas last blog post..Lamenting a Margarito versus Pacquiao
Posted on January 26th, 2009 at 8:35 PM
bariles Says:
@Daxi, hehehe! Yeah, kungsabagay. Another productive day lost. Oh well, let us ask our Fil-Chinese or Chinoy readers kaya? Anybody out there who wants the Chinese New Year to be declared a public holiday in the Philippines? Archmykel? Cathy? Leonard? Wanchin? Any takers?
By the way, Kung Hei Fatchoy which is the common greeting in the Philippines is in Fookien, the dialect from the Fu Jian province in China. Gong Xi Fa Cai which is the normal greeting in Singapore and Malaysia is in Mandarin, the national language of China.
Posted on January 26th, 2009 at 9:59 PM
bariles Says:
@Gensanite, you’re welcome. Di ba you live on that set of buildings on the left of the picture? That’s where your lola stays right? Aminin. Where’s your father’s and grandpa’s roots?
Posted on January 26th, 2009 at 10:08 PM
rammyboi Says:
Kung hei fat choi bsag delayed na ko. hehehhe
amazing kuya avel… where do you get this pictures…. vintage na maxado. na aamaze ako. 
rammybois last blog post..David Pomeranz Concert in Gensan
Posted on January 26th, 2009 at 11:33 PM
dimple Says:
Posted on January 27th, 2009 at 12:34 AM
Kritiko Says:
Kung Hei Fat Choy!
Posted on January 27th, 2009 at 8:00 AM
bariles Says:
Sa lumang baul ng lolo kong intsik rin. Joke. I got that from the book WHO’S WHO, Volume IV. I also personally interviewed its author, Mr. Jong Ramirez when he dropped by the office yesterday.
Posted on January 27th, 2009 at 9:17 AM
gensanite Says:
@bariles –
yup… you’re right, KUYA A… i lived near there before, when i stayed with my grandmother (when she was still with us)… both of my grandfathers (paternal and maternal) are from Amoy, in the Fujian province… my parents, uncles, and aunts were all born here in the Philippines…
when i was younger, i would usually see most of the people in the photos in the chinese cemetery (beside san carlos) during all saints’ day (november 1)… they usually play traditional chinese musical instruments, drink tea, and talk (chinese)…
i also remember that these “first-generation chinese migrants” have a group/club that is pretty much like the freemasons… the members usually go there to play mahjong, drink tea, share a meal, discuss business, and close deals…
vintage gyud kaayo ang photo… i can’t imagine that they were near in the area where general santos park is now… hehehe…
Posted on January 27th, 2009 at 11:36 AM
rammyboi Says:
ayyy.. uu. na encounter ko yan na book kuya avel. meron ata ang NDDU lib nyan kasi dun ako nakakita nung nasa elementary pa ako. pero volume 1 cguro. not sure. andun pa nga ang story ng white lady sa San Pablo St. ba yun. jan sa street harap ng NDDU-IBED and St. Peter and Paul Parish.
rammybois last blog post..David Pomeranz Concert in Gensan
Posted on January 27th, 2009 at 6:25 PM
orman Says:
kung hei tabatsoy! hoy gensanite katambok na nimo ha… will be back in cebu soon…
ormans last blog post..Hallelujah
Posted on January 27th, 2009 at 11:05 PM
gensanite Says:
@orman –
hehehe… at least hindi nagwo-worry ang nanay ko na wala akong kinakain dito sa cebu… hehehe… coffee tayo pagbalik mo dito, SIR ORMAN… cheers!!!
Posted on January 28th, 2009 at 12:14 PM
archmykel Says:
hi bariles! That is a good idea. Let the city celebrate Chinese new year! para dumami ang activities sa city. How about a dragon dance at the plaza?
Posted on January 31st, 2009 at 10:39 PM
bariles Says:
@archmykel, planuhin na dapat after the Tuna Festival. This will do our city a lot of good.
Posted on February 3rd, 2009 at 8:49 AM
Jordan Ray Quinco Says:
hello everyone.. i believe my grandfather is in that picture…
he is 100% chinese from china.. hehe.. Julian Chua… (Julian not his true name) owner of the famous SAMPAGUITA restaurant in the 1940′s… jan lang malapit sa GEN. SANTOS PARK… un maalala ko… hehehe…. mga kaibigan niya yung mga tao na yan before.. hehehe… miss u lolo… god bless to all chinoys…
belated happy new year to all!
Posted on February 4th, 2009 at 11:41 AM
gensanite Says:
@Jordan Ray Quinco –
unsa nimo si BOYET, bai?
Posted on February 4th, 2009 at 12:10 PM
Jordan Ray Quinco Says:
@gensanite.. he’s my brother bai… kaila ta?
Posted on February 5th, 2009 at 9:29 AM
gensanite Says:
i dunno… batch mi sa imong utol… lagmit, damean pud ka…
Posted on February 5th, 2009 at 2:39 PM
Jordan Ray Quinco Says:
@gensanite.. aw ok.. unsa imo ngalan?… damean pod ko..
Posted on February 7th, 2009 at 3:17 PM
odette Says:
just before i left gensan, i was at the second-hand bookstore in kcc, and i saw jong ramirez. no i don’t know him personally, but my mom told me in a whisper that he’s gensan’s historian. so the lightbulb in my head sparked a bit when you mentioned him. it’s nice to feel a connection somehow to my gensan experiences.
hooray to the chinese in gensan! kung hei fat choy! i worked in binondo, manila in 2000-2002, for a chinese company based in gensan, and it was the ultimate chinatown experience for me.
odettes last blog post..the birthday giveaway
Posted on February 10th, 2009 at 4:22 PM