The Huaqiao Warriors: Chinese Resistance Movement in the Philippines, 1942-45

2. Foundations of the Resistance Movement — The Prewar Organizations and Leadership of the Philippine Chinese Community

Chapter Two i i Foundations of the Resistance Movement — The Prewar Organizations and Leadership of the Philippine Chinese Community It wa s hardl y possibl e fo r an y significan t resistanc e forc e t o emerge fro m a totall y disintegrate d society . Bu t i f th e prewa r social organization s an d mobilizatio n o f th e populatio n forme d the ver y foundatio n o f a resistanc e movement , i t wa s th e com munity leadership which determined it s form, nature and strength . The Philippin e Chines e communit y befor e th e outbrea k o f th e Pacific Wa r wa s a highly organize d one . A t th e bas e o f i t ther e were numerou s socia l organization s whic h ha d existe d earl y i n the Spanish period. These can be divided broadly into four types : regional o r hometow n associations , cla n associations , trad e o r guild associations , an d secre t societies. 1 Abov e thes e associa tions , communit y leadershi p wa s provide d b y th e institution s 38 The Huaqiao Warriors which ha d community-wid e appeals , which include d mainl y th e Philippine Chines e Chambe r o f Commerce , th e Chines e Con sulate , an d th e branche s o f Chines e politica l partie s i n th e Philippines. ' # • • Social organization s The Chines e regiona l o r hometow n association s i n th e Philip pines wer e les s importan t tha n thos e i n othe r oversea s Chines e communities, becaus e th e Philippin e Chines e wer e mor e homo geneous with regar d t o their home origin . Eighty-five pe r cent of them cam e fro m Fujian , especiall y fro m Jinjiang . Therefore , re gional association s i n th e Philippine s di d no t mak e muc h sense , and s o the y sometime s too k th e for m o f villag e associations . Regional association s wer e mor e appropriat e t o th e Cantones e in th e Philippines , an d th e Cantones e Associatio n (Guangdon g Huiguan) wa s establishe d a t Sant a Cru z i n 1850 . I t wa s t o pro vide temporar y housin g an d advance s o f mone y t o th e ne w arrivals. A simila r associatio n wa s forme d i n Iloil o i n 1870. 2 Clan association s wer e generall y mor e importan t tha n th e regional association s i n th e Philippines . Cla n association s refe r to th e sib s and phratrie s groupin g unde r th e sam e surname. Lik e the cas e o f regional associations , th e Cantonese , bein g a minor ity in the Philippine Chinese community, showe d more eagernes s to organiz e themselve s t o protect thei r ow n rights . They forme d two-fifths o f th e tota l numbe r o f Chines e cla n association s i n the Philippines . Th e oldes t cla n associatio n wa s th e Cantones e Lung Kong Kung So, which was established i n 1884 . Most of th e other Cantones e cla n association s wer e forme d i n th e 1920s , while i n th e 1930 s numerou s Fukienes e cla n association s emerged.3 Trade o r guil d association s bega n t o appea r i n th e Philip pines i n th e earl y eighteent h century . I n 1720 , th e Ric e Merchants Associatio n wa s formed. The n i n 188 8 ther e wa s th e formation o f Chongnin g She , whic h wa s th e forerunne r o f th e Foundations of the Resistance Movement 3 9 Chinese Lumbe r Merchant s Associatio n forme d i n 1921 . In th e 1880s an d 1890 s a fe w Textil e Dealer s Association...