New Migrants from Continental China in Philippine Cities: Differences in Profiles and Settlements

In the 1990’s, the number of migrants from Mainland China increases in the Philippines archipelago. The phenomenon cannot be evaluated precisely (figure between 60,000 and 100,000 persons) but remains important in this local Chinese community whose total population is between 800,000 and one million. Most of those new comers are from Fujian province, which is also the motherland of more than 90% of the local Chinese community. Most of them embrace the Filipino citizenship. The city is the main study site to analyze the multiple impacts and social links between new comers and local Chinese residents. The presence of new comers is particularly readable in old Chinese districts in cities like Davao, Cebu and Manila. They also settle in suburban areas, it shows the different professional skills among the migrants. Part of the new migrants from continental China answer the needs of a local poor population; the other ones complete the lacks of the local Chinese community in quest of “genuine Chinese culture” mostly based on the practice of the Chinese language. All of them contribute to the renewal of the local Chinese community.