Apart from Russia and Georgia, China is also making headlines the past few days. The land of Yao Ming and Jackie Chan hosts the Olympics, that’s why. But more than sports, China is also the talk of the world for its computer generated fireworks and lip synch during the opening ceremonies of the Olympics at Beijing. In addition, there is also this fake or pirated Olympics tickets being circulated.
Well, many expected the circulation of fake tickets. As jokes go around:
When you bring in toys in China, fake ones will flourish. When you bring in clothes in China, fake ones will flourish. when you bring in films and audios in CDs and DVDs inside China, fake ones will flourish. So do not bring in your wife to China lest fake ones will also flourish.
But in fairness to the Chinese people, not everything fake comes from them. And not everything that comes from them is fake. As a matter of fact, they still hold the most genuine virtue expected from mankind — loyalty. A recent study shows that Filipino-Chinese (Tsinoys) are more Filipinistic than pure-blooded Filipinos. Ang mga pure na Pilipino daa kaya mas gusto pang lumayas sa Pilipinas saka mas gusto pa ang imported na mga bagay-bagay kaysa sa mga Tsinoy. Dagdag pa kaan, an mga Tsinoy nationalistic pa sa Pilipinas kaysa sa mga tunay na Pilipino.
Whether we believe this or not, history can tell us one example of this in the person of Ignacio Paua (also, Pawa). Paua, with Chinese name Hou Yabao, is a native of Lao-Na in the Fujian Province of China. At the age of18, he went to the Philippines with his uncle and became a blacksmith. He used and shared this skill when he joined the Katipunan. Yes, you read it right: Paua joined the Katipunan.
Katunayan, si Paua an solamenteng foreigner na nagpirma sa konstitusyon na ginibo sa Biak na Bato. Siya man an saro sa dayupot na pinagkatiwalaan ni Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo pag-abot sa kwarta asin sa mga special operations. Katunayan, si Paua an saro sa mga nagkakapirang sinugo ni Aguinaldo para gadanon si Andres Bonifacio.
Dahil sa urag ni Paua, ginibo siyang heneral — an solamenteng foreigner na heneral na nakipaglaban sa mga Kastila. He was also in-charged of collection of taxes and contributions for the operations of the revolutionary movement. And during that time, he was able to generate the highest collection so far for the revolution. The amount is P386,000 from the contributions of Chinese and the Bicolanos alone. And that was in the 1890’s.
Siguro dahil magagayon an mga Bicolana kaya nawili siya sa Bicol. Nag-estar siya sa Legazpi hanggang makahale an mga Kastila asin mag-abot an mga Amerikano. Mala ta an naagom niya, si Carolina Imperial na tugang ni Paciano Imperial. Si Paciano man an ama ni Carlos Imperial, an pinaka-primerong Bicolano na Associate Justice Kan Supreme Court, na tiyoon man kan bistadong kongresista sa Segundo Distrito kan Albay na si Carlos “Papay” Imperial.
Matapos an giyera, si Paua padagos na indaptar an pagiging Bicolano asin naging alkalde-mayor kan Manito, Albay sa laog nin nagkapirang taon. Siya nagadan kan May 24, 1926.
Kay Paua ipinangaran an saro sa mga barangay sa Legazpi, an Barangay Pawa, bilang pagrespeto sa saiya. Itinugdok man an sarong estatwa para sa saiya sa may gilid kan Rizal St., sa Albay District. Siya sarong intsik pero daing kurab na nagsabi sa saiyang mga aki asin agom na: “I want to live long enough to see the independence of our beloved country and to behold the Filipino flag fly proudly and alone in our skies.”
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