Chinatown in Cebu?

AN ARRAY of stalls selling authentic Chinese dumplings such as siomai, packed with bits of shrimp and topped with quail egg, at an affordable price was how Lady Isabelle Perez, 20, imagined if the downtown area of Cebu City will be declared as a Chinatown.

“As of now, when you want to eat authentic siomai, it’s costly,” said Perez.

Perez, a college student of the University of the Philippines Cebu, belongs to a long line of Chinese-Filipino family who has been residing in Cebu City for more than 50 years.

She, her elder brother and their parents occupy a unit on the second floor of a residential building along Legaspi Street, which was also the residence of her grandparents and great-grandparents.

When she learned that downtown Cebu City is being eyed as the Chinatown in Cebu, Perez was ecstatic.

“That’s a wonderful idea (to have a Chinatown in Cebu) since there’s really a lot of Chinese living in the downtown area,” said Perez.

The proposed ordinance

Cebu City Councilor Jerry Guardo is pushing for the creation of a Chinatown in Cebu City by proposing an ordinance titled “An Ordinance Creating the Cebu City Chinatown Center, Delineating its Boundaries, and Installation of Welcome Arch.”

In a phone interview yesterday, Guardo said that having a Chinatown in Cebu City will transform the city’s whole downtown area and will make it attractive to both tourists and investors, boosting the economic growth of the city.

“It’s about time for Cebu City to have a Chinatown. Cebu City is the hub of trade and business in the Visayas and Mindanao. Bacolod City has a Chinatown and Davao City, too,” he noted.

Guardo said the creation of a Chinatown is timely following the announcement of assistant secretary of the Office of the Cabinet Secretary, Jonas George Soriano, that the country is expected to welcome up to 10 million Chinese tourists this year.

“It’s also one way on giving thanks to the Chinese (Filipino) community for the significant contribution they made especially on our economy,” he said.

This is the first proposed ordinance made for the creation of a Chinatown in Cebu City.

During the City Council’s regular session last Tuesday, April 24, Guardo’s proposal was referred to the committee on laws for legal reference and to the city’s Cultural Historical Affairs Office (CHAO).

Covered area

Guardo said he chose the downtown area in Cebu City as a possible Chinatown center since it remains a Chinese-dominated community. He added that there are no less than a hundred shops and stores owned by individuals with Chinese heritage in downtown Cebu City.

“If you check out the shops in the streets of Borromeo and Manalili, they are predominantly owned by the Chinese even until now,” said Guardo.
However, the councilor said his office will still coordinate further with the City Planning and Development Office (CPDO) to come up with a specific map delineating the boundaries of the proposed Chinatown.

“But definitely, we will put up an arch on its entry point as its marker. Just like any other Chinatowns in the country like Binondo in Manila,” Guardo added.

Chinatown Development Council

On the other hand, the proposed ordinance also aimed for the formation of the Cebu City Chinatown Development Council which will be chaired by the city mayor, and with members from the private sector such as a representative from the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI), the Cebu-Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce Inc. (CFCCCI), and the Chinese Educational Institution.

The functions of the Cebu City Chinatown Development Council will include the formulation of a Development Master Plan as guide in developing the area, recommend measures, actions and legislations for its enhancement, as well as ensuring the participation of stakeholders affected.

Guardo, on his proposal, also suggested for the city government to allocate P2 million as initial funding for the improvement of infrastructures such as conducting cleanup drives and conducting repairs within the area covered by the Chinatown.

Concerns

Downtown Cebu City was once the sole center of business and shopping activities in Cebu City before other areas such as the North Reclamation Area and South Road Properties were developed.

Colon Street, the country’s oldest street, also lies in the heart of downtown Cebu City, and connects the historic barangay of Pari-an to Carbon Public Market.

However, in recent times, deteriorating infrastructures such as buildings, roads and drainage, have been plaguing the area, and were also attributed to the decline of its attractiveness.

This was the concern raised by Perez who also suggested that the city government should solve these issues first before formally opening the Chinatown.

“It would be better if we focus first on de-clogging the drainage systems and prevent garbage being littered in the streets before we can have a Chinatown. Because these problems are almost perennial like flooding during the rainy seasons of June and July,” said Perez.

Sought for comments, Guardo assured that repairs and rehabilitation will be done in downtown Cebu City before proceeding to work on the Chinatown.

“I’ve already talked to some Chinese entrepreneurs doing business in downtown Cebu City, including the prominent ones such as the Gaisanos and the Benedictos, and they were willing to cooperate and help the city government in improving the area first,” said Guardo.