ASCENDANCE OF CHINESE MESTIZOS

The Chinese Mestizos and the Formation of the Filipino Nationality

By: Antonio S. Tan

Chinese mestizo played an important part in the creation and evolution of what is now
called the Filipino nation. They played significant role in the formation of the Filipino middle
class, in the agitation for reforms, in the 1998 revolution, and in the formation of what is known
as the Filipino Nationality.

Filipinos with Chinese blood have occupied important positions in the government. There
were already a lot of political figures dominating the highest position in the government like
Sergio Osmena who became the vice-president of the Philippine Commonwealth. A number of
Chinese mestizo have become president: Jose P. Laurel, Elpidio Quirino, Ramon Magsaysay, and
Ferdinand E. Marcos. Chinese mestizo proved to be a more significant element in the Philippine
society for three reasons:
 Chinese mestizo was more numerous as there was a greater infusion of Chinese blood
than any other blood in the Filipino.
 Chinese mestizos were readily assimilated into the fabric of the native society.
 They assume important roles in the economic, social, political life of the nation.

Although the Chinese who settled in the islands before the Spanish colonization had
intermarried with native women, the emergence of Chinese mestizo as a legally distinct class
began only with the Spanish colonial regime. Soon after the Spaniards founded the city of
Manila in 1571, a large Chinese colony evolved. Performing multiple services as traders, artisans
and domestic servants, the Chinese became indispensible to the needs of the capital.

However, the Spaniards could only see the rapid increase of Chinese population as a
potential threat to their own rule. They feared that Chinese would far less loyal to the Spanish
regime. It causes dilemma because they wanted the Chinese for their indispensable services in
the economy and yet were suspicious and wary of their growing number. The dilemma was
resolved through the policy of:
 Converting the Chinese and encouraging marriages between Catholic Chinese and
Catholic Indio.

Any person born of a Chinese father and an Indio mother was classified a Chinese mestizo.
Subsequent descendants were listed as Chinese mestizo. A mestiza who married a Chinese or
mestizo, as well as their children, was registered as a mestizo, But a Chinese mestiza who
married an Indio was listed, together with her children, as Indio.
As the Chinese mestizo population increased, the question of their legal status arose. In 1740,
inhabitants of the Philippines were classified into 3 classes: Spaniards, Indio, and the Chinese.

In 1741, the legal status of Chinese mestizo was resolved when the whole population was
reclassified for the purposes of tributes or tax payment into four classes:
 Spaniards and Spanish mestizo – exempted
 Chinese – pays 3x of the tax that Indios are paying.
 Chinese mestizo – pays 2x of the tax that indios are paying.
 Indios – pays the less tax.

John Bowring described Chinese mestizo as more active and enterprising, more prudent
and pioneering, more oriented to trade and commerce than the Indios. For Feoder Tagor called
the Chinese mestizo as the richest and most enterprising portion of the entire population. W.G.
Palgrave commented in 1876 that Chinese mestizo as intellectually they are superior to the
unmixed around them. Their members; taken in comparison with that of the entire population
is not great; but their wealth and influence go far to make up this deficiency.

In 1760, expulsion of many Chinese because of their cooperation with the British
government who occupied in Manila enabled the energetic and enterprising Chinese mestizos
to penetrate markets which had been preserved by the Chinese. In the absence of the Chinese
traders, the Chinese mestizo became the provisioners of the colonial authorities, foreign firms
and residents of Manila. Chinese mestizos also engaged in landholding and wholesaling.
Chinese mestizo tended to dominate not only the economic and social, but also the political
leadership of the local community.

The Rise of the Middle Class to Social Prestige

The new middle class would express themselves in novel artistic terms. New middle
class followed the model of Hispanic-European culture and was getting entrenched in many
pueblos or towns. According to Wickberg, the wealth they acquired and the manner they spent
it, made them the arbiter of fashion, customs, and style of living.

John Bowring, wrote in 1850 that many of them adopt the European costume, but
where they retain the native dress that is finer in quality, gayer in color, and richer in ornament.
The men commonly wear European hast and stocking.

The rise of the middle class to economic importance had another great effect. The
acquisition of a certain amount of wealth made it easier to provide education for their children.
In the 1870s more families were able to send their children to Spain, and later to progressive
countries like, France, England, Austria, and Germany.

The Chinese Mestizo in the Formation of the Filipino Identity

 The Chinese mestizo getting wealthy, too independent minded, sizeable enough to be to
form their own Grenio Mestizo de Sangley. By 1800s Chinese mestizo in the provinces began to
set the tone of public opinion. In 1827, Manuel Bernaldez Pizzaro already observed that the
Indio and Mestizo clerics had dangerous tendencies to revolution. Chinese mestizo is a
potential nucleus around which the Indio insurrection might be organized, and predicted that
the Chinese mestizo would in time dominate public opinion.

With the threat of Chinese mestizo and Indio, Spanish government applied measures. The
government put pressure or race hatred between the Chinese mestizo and natives to separate
the two classes. They believed that they should be separated because:
 The native is strong in its number.
 The Chinese mestizo is intelligent and wealthy.

The authorities suggest promoting rivalry and jealousy, and to foment antagonism between
the two classes:
 Declare the rank of gobernadorcillo for the Indio superior to that meant of the mestizo.
 Have separate theatres for each, by which they could attack and ridicule each other.
 Imposed land taxes on the Chinese mestizo and a distinctive dress for them.

Yet it was difficult to separate the two groups as Chinese mestizo were inclined to identify
themselves with the Indios culturally and socially; and gravitate towards each other due to
common grievances.

Pure blooded
Spaniards Exempted in paying tax
Spaniard.

1.) Person born with

Spanish mestizo whose parents were Exempted in paying tax
Spansiards.

1.) Pure blooded Pays 3x of the tax that

Chinese
Chinese Indios are paying.

Ethnic racial
categories
used during
the Spanish
period. 1.) Person born of a
Chinese father and an
Pays 2x of the tax that
Chinese mestizo Indio mother was
Indios are paying.
classified a Chinese
mestizo.
 1.) Pure blooded Filipino.
2.) Person born of a Filipino
father was classified as Indio
Indios 3.) In addition, a Chinese Pays the less tax.
Mestiza who married a
Filipino Indio, she and her
descednants will be
considered as Indio.