Bridging the Gap
Tsinoys in Iloilo City: Shifting identities and businesses (2)
In the previous column, a profile was made of the Chinese business activities in Iloilo City based on the 1927 Iloilo Telephone Directory. In that issue, it was pointed out that the leading business families had the surnames Uy, Tan, Chua, Sy, Chin, Ong, Po, Kwong, Sing, Tiu, Yap and Yu. The dominant business interests at that time were general merchandising, rice dealership, auto supplies and accessories, restaurant, hardware, electrical and plumbing supplies, shipping agencies, and sugar dealership. The business establishments were mostly concentrated in J.M. Basa Street. Of the 56 businesses advertised, 21 were in it (more than 37%), with general merchandising as the principal activity (more than 57% of the total number). Also significant is that majority of those having Chinese surnames had also Chinese first names.
Fifty years later, based on the 1977 Iloilo Telephone Directory, one can find that about half of the above business families had retained their dominant positions, especially the Uys, Tans, Sys, Ongs, Yus and the Pos. The new top players had the family names Te, Pe and Go. The others who were also doing business in the city in the 1970s had the surnames Chua, Ng, Wong, Lim, Que, Chan, Ting, Tio, Chiu, Co, Coo, Cua, Hua, Ko, Kuan, So, Wang, and Yao.
The prominent businesses that the Chinese were engaged in at this time were general merchandising, supermarket operation, sugar trading, recapping, salt-trading, lumber and hardware, tobacco trading, furniture, auto supply, copra trading, rice mill, land and sea transportation, bakery, shoe store, upholstery, gasoline station, restaurants, glassware, distillery, poultry, machinery, and candle-making. The business locations were now practically all over the sections of the city: Iznart, J.M. Basa, Aldeguer, Quezon, Mabini, Yulo, Arroyo, Rizal and Ledesma.
Very significant is that by the 1970s, most of the Chinese businessmen already exhibited non-Chinese first names, indicative perhaps that many of them were already Filipino citizens, thus being already Tsinoys. Nevertheless, there was still a handful of pure Chinese names listed such as Ah Li Sy, Bio Guan Co, Chan Chin Lim, Do Yung Guan, and Go Lian Te. Also worth noting is that business activities were already so diversified. Furthermore, the concentration of Tsinoy establishments had shifted to Iznart Street but had also expanded to other streets not mentioned in the 1927 Iloilo Telephone Directory.
Thirty years later, this is what the 2007 Iloilo Telephone Directory reveals. With regard to the leading Tsinoy business families, there has been some repositioning. Some have retained their top ten ranking while others have slid down and have been replaced by new players. The ones who are very prominent and with multiple business interests are those with surnames Tan, Lim, Uy, Go, Ong, Yap, Chan, Chua, Sy, and Que. The others whose businesses are also being advertised are those with family names So, Ang, Lee, Po, Lao, Yu, Ng, Sia, Wong, and Ho.
The prominent businesses of Tsinoys today are lumber and construction supply, hardware, car dealership, sugar trading, realty, machinery parts, electrical supplies, motorcycles, insurance, finance companies, stock brokerages, agricultural products, Western-style department stores, fishponds, piggery, glass and aluminum products, appliances, paint and paint products, photo-finishing, restaurants, rice and salt-trading, travel and tours, etc.
In the 2007 Iloilo Telephone Directory, only two businessmen possess pure Chinese names, namely Eng Hong and Hiap Ho. The rest have Westernized first names. Their business interests are so diversified, covering practically every economic activity, including those formerly associated only with the native Filipinos, such as fishpond operation, realty and construction. Also, business operations are widely dispersed throughout the city, including its districts.