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The State Visit to China of President Benigno S. Aquino III draws our attention not only to the deep and age-old kinship between the Philippines and China, but also the vibrant and more contemporary dimensions of our ties.
The present landscape of the relationship is animated by the presence of Filipinos in China, individuals and entities that are in the middle of the transformation of Asia's leading economic powerhouse.
Filipinos in China -- currently estimated at 10,000 -- are in a wide field of professions - manufacturing and property investors, media, hospitality and entertainment, multinational corporations, medical services, creative and engineering industries and teaching. The number has grown steadily as China's fast-growing economy has required it in the last two decades to absorb foreign talents, alongside investments.
The Filipino men and women in China are not merely bearing witness to China's changes: they are contributing to the energy of the Chinese society and taking part in its history.
They also attest to the indelible and encompassing associations between the Philippines and China that have evolved throughout the centuries and nearly four decades of formal diplomatic relations.
Many of the Filipinos' success stories have carved important imprints in the Chinese people's appreciation of the talents and industry of the Filipinos.
Outstanding English teachers
Last year, four Filipino English teachers received recognition from provincial governments in Northeast China as Outstanding Foreign Experts - awards that have been instituted in China in appreciation for foreigners' contributions to economic and social development.
Frederick Lomibao who has been teaching for six years in a private school in Liaoning Province's Yingkou City, was awarded by Governor Chen Chenggao in 2010. The recognition, he hoped, did not only bring honor to our country, but also gave inspiration to Filipinos at home and abroad. He relished the pride of being honored with other outstanding foreign experts in Liaoning, representing the Philippines.
According to the Philippine Embassy in Beijing, there are some 400 Filipinos working as English teachers in Northeast China alone. The number could reach 2,000 in the whole of Mainland China.
The frigid winters in this region do not seem to faze the Filipinos, who in fact seem to be thriving quite well. Jilin Province - which borders Russia and North...