Changing Status of Chinese in the Philippines

Abstract

The martial law regime of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos has drastically changed the status of ethnic Chinese living in the Philippines. This has been accomplished by a decree which makes naturalization as a Filipino citizen a simple and inexpensive process. Naturalization enables persons of Chinese ancestry to escape discriminatory legislation directed against aliens and to become full participants in Philippine economic activities. The Chinese in the Philippines are a commercial middle class group who have been targets for discriminatory legislation which constantly increased in severity from the end of American control in 1946 until the naturalization decree by President Marcos in 1975. Anti-Chinese feeling is still high in the general population and such a decree could only have been issued by a dictatorial government; however, there are many factors working toward assimilation and the naturalization decree may mark a change of policy which will survive the end of the Marcos regime.