Diaspora is a word used to refer to a group of people who spread from one original country to other countries.
Its first and principal meaning relates to the settling of Jewish people outside of the Holy Land after the Babylonian exile thousand of years ago. The Jewish Diaspora is the original and there is also the Chinese Diaspora with approximately 46 million ethnic Chinese living outside China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau. Let's not forget also the Indian Diaspora, at 17.5 million, comprises 6.4% of the total global migrant population.
Filipinos have become the newest diasporic community in the world. In 2013, the Commission on Filipino Overseas estimated that roughly 10.5 million people of Filipino descent lived or worked abroad. This number constituted around 11% of the 94 million population of the Philippines at that time. The Philippines now has a population of 106.7 million. Majority of the 10.5 million are Overseas Filipinos Workers while others have chosen to lived permanently in other countries. Like the Jews, Filipinos are now practically in every corner of the globe, managing not only to survive but to thrive in their respective professions and businesses. The Filipino OFWs contribute roughly US$ 30 Billion annually to the Philippine economy.
The top destination countries of overseas Filipinos include the US, Canada, the Kingdom of Saudia and a few more Middle Eastern countries, and closer to home like Malaysia, Japan, China and Taiwan.
Yes, we have a sizeable number of Filipinos in Taiwan, officially known as "Republic of China" (ROC). It was a member of the United Nations, representing China until 1971, when the ROC lost its seat to the People's Republic of China (PRC). Officially, 15 countries (including the Vatican) recognize the ROC, but the United Nations regards the PRC government in Beijing, which has never controlled Taiwan, as speaking for the island. Given the One-China Policy stated in the Shanghai Communique of 1972 during US President Richard Nixon visit to China, Washington does not recognize the ROC, yet Taiwan is the U.S.'s 11th-largest trading partner. In the case of the Philippines, the government has adopted a One-China Policy since 1975 and we don't have a Philippine Embassy in Taiwan. What we have is the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) in Taipei, with extension offices in Kaohsiung and Taichung. The MECO offers various consular services such as granting visa and processing passport. Its counterpart body is the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in the Philippines.
Taiwan employs hundreds of thousands of migrant workers in their factories, fishing vessels and households. About 150,000 of these workers are Filipinos. The Filipinos are the third biggest group of foreign workers in Taiwan, next to the Indonesians and Vietnamese. While data from the Philippine labor office in Taipei show about 1% of the total number of OFWs in Taiwan have encountered labor and contract violations from their employers, MECO Chairman Lito Banayo wrote in his "So I See"" column at the Manila Bulletin that "the reality on the ground is an overwhelming majority of Filipino workers find work conditions and pay better here in Taiwan than in other countries for similar work."
Indeed, the Filipino OFW community in Taiwan looks to have harmonious and beneficial experience working there. Annually, there are Filipino workers who get recognition for their dedication and hard work from the Taiwanese government. Also, the Taiwanese government has proven to be an adherent of the rule of law and freedom of expression in a recent celebrated case in May 2020 when it rejected the request of a Philippine Overseas labor attache to have a Filipina working as a caregiver in southern Taiwan, deported.
The Filipino community in Taiwan has things to be thankful for. And indeed they have been thankful and have shown to be good members of society in their second country. It is in this context that we look at the Taiwan National Day Run. This is a Virtual Takbo event of the Pinoy Runners Global (PRG). It is hosted by the Pinoy Runners Taiwan (PRT). For those interested to join, log in to portal.
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| The Team Captain of Pinoy Runners Taiwan is Ramyerz Marquez. He is originally from Cavite. |
To know more about the event, the Bicolano Penguin (BP) interviewed the leader of PRT, Ramyerz Marquez. Here is our Q&A:
BP: What is the name of your running group?
Ramyerz: Originally the first group name was "Filipino Runners Club Taiwan" until Kap Noel Bautista of Pinoy - SG Runners texted me last Oct 10, 2019. He approached me if I can join the Pinoy Runners Global to represent Barangay Taiwan. And that's it, from Filipino Runners Club Taiwan to Pinoy Runners Taiwan under the Pinoy Runners Global Community.
BP: When was it formed? How many members right now?
Ramyerz: It was formed on October 2017, after I joined my first half marathon event with my Taiwanese friend way back in May 2016. We are only 3 Filipinos who want to experience the 21km run. And after that, we encourage other friends and co-workers to try to experience the feeling when joining a marathon. As of right now, we are 129 runners in the group coming from different places in Taiwan.
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| The 3 Pinoy running friends (Ramyerz, Ryan & Edmond) before the start of their half marathon. With them is their Taiwanese friend |
BP: Why is your group hosting the Taiwan National Day Run? What is the purpose for your group?
Ramyerz: We are hosting it because October 10 or 10.10 is very important day here in Taiwan. This commemorates National Day of Taiwan, Republic of China (ROC) when the start of the Wuchang Uprising of 10 October 1911 which led to the end of the Qing Dynasty in China and establishment of the Republic of China on 1 January 2012. Our purpose for this is to give honor to Taiwan as our second country and as being safe here, especially this pandemic. We can see how they can handle it seriously. That's why we are free to run here anywhere.
BP: Where does your group usually run there in Taiwan?
Ramyerz: We usually run on the streets and roads. Sometimes together with our Taiwanese friends. When there was no pandemic yet, every month we join a marathon event that is ear to us here in Xinyang Tainan. Or sometimes in Taipei when there is a marathon event, just to represent the Pinoy runners.
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| Proudly showing the Philippine flag, the Pinoy Runners Taiwan members have a group photo at the finish line of the Zepro 2019 Half Marathon in Tainan City. Zepro is a local running brand in Taiwan. It sponsors/organizes monthly running events in different provinces in Taiwan. |
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| PRT members joining a running event in Kaoshiung City in Dec 2019. |
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| Pinoy runners at the NatGeo Run in Taipei last April 2018. Proud finishers all. |
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| While in Taipei, the runners turned tourists. The Taipe 101, at 1,671 feet tall, is the 9th tallest building in the world. From 2004 to 2010, it was officially the world's tallest. |
Inspiring to read the answers of the Team Captain of Pinoy Runners Taiwan. Two noteworthy messages - Pride in representing the Pinoy runners and Giving honor to Taiwan, the second country for our Pinoy runners there.
In our book, Ramyerz and his group embody what is good in the Filipino. Google about it and invariably one will come up with a set of values that a majority of us Filipinos have historically held important in our lives: Family Orientation; Hospitality; Faith & Religiosity; Adaptability; and Ability to Survive.
Allow us to focus on Adaptability and for this we quote an eloquent piece from Andrea Chloe Wong , a Senior Foreign Affairs Research Specialist at the Philippines' Foreign Service Institute. In 2012, she wrote a article at the Philippine Daily Inquirer and this is what she has to say about the Filipino's adaptability:
"...we Filipinos can be proud of our adaptability. We are highly adaptable to different people, cultures and situations that generally make us well-rounded beings. While overseas, we not only connect with fellow Filipinos but we also adjust easily to different cultures and diverse people. We tend to make do with what little we have and find pleasure in the simple things. We adapt well in difficult situations that likewise showcase our resilience as a nation. Others may view this as a general acceptance of fate or a strange kind of coping mechanism. The Filipinos' optimistic reaction to diversity, uncertainty and adversity truly baffles, or at most amazes."
Thankful indeed to the adaptable members of Pinoy Runners Taiwan for showing to us fellow Filipinos that indeed "there is always something good in us that gives us reasons to not give up on ourselves and to have hope in our" beloved Philippines.
Mabuhay po kayo.
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