News
Embassy spotlights decades of Filipino migration, success in China
By Joyce Ann L. Rocamora, Philippine News Agency
DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS. The cover of the #MadeItInChina online series that is set to be compiled in a book for a June 11, 2025 launch in celebration of the 50th Philippine-China anniversary of diplomatic relations.
Philippine Ambassador to China Jaime FlorCruz said Saturday (June 7, 2025) said they would continue to look for bright spots to further enhance the two countries’ relationship. (Photo courtesy of the Philippine Embassy in China)
MANILA – The presence of countless Filipino professionals in China, from an executive who trained numerous hotel staffers since 1990 to a couple who founded the first international school in Xiamen, reflects Beijing and Manila’s strong people-to-people exchanges over the decades.
In celebration of the 50th anniversary of Philippines-China diplomatic relations on June 9, the Philippine Embassy in Beijing said it hopes to highlight these ties and showcase how Filipinos help create connections and mutual understanding between the two countries.
The embassy said on Saturday that it would officially launch on June 11 a book compiling its online series called the #MadeItInChina, which chronicled the successes of Filipinos in various parts of China.
“(I)t is this cohort of ordinary Filipinos, and the countless others, they represent who are in fact our goodwill ambassadors in China,” Philippine Ambassador to China Jaime FlorCruz said in a statement.
“They show that China is a place where Filipinos can find their chosen careers, thrive, and succeed. As they succeed, they also contribute to their respective fields and communities. And, while doing so, they build connections of friendship and mutual understanding between our two peoples.”
The online series, which ran from January to June, covered more than 50 overseas Filipinos, such as Rodrido Camposagrado, a hotelier who trained hotel personnel in Beijing when China was starting to open up to the world; and the couple Roman and Mildred Go, who established the Manila Xiamen International School, the first of its kind in the Fujian port city.
It also features Dr. Karen Tagulao, a marine biologist who championed mangrove conservation in Macau SAR.
In a separate interview with the Philippine News Agency, FlorCruz said the embassy hopes to continue developing the bright spots in Philippine-China relations, especially the people-to-people links.
“While there are maritime-related issues between the two countries, these challenges are not the entirety of our relations,” he said.
“We continue to move forward and look at the bright spots in our relations. One example is people-to-people exchanges, which we highlight in this year’s commemorative activities.”
