Filipino Chinese entrepreneurs donate 6,200 public schools in 'Operation Barrio Schools'

MANILA, Philippines — "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime." — Taoist philosopher Laozi (also spelled Lao Tzu)

In their hope of helping alleviate poverty and social injustice, and in promoting sustainable and inclusive Philippine economic growth, the Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce & Industry, Inc. (FFCCCII) has undertaken the Philippines’ biggest-ever philanthropic project.

Dubbed “Operation Barrio Schools,” it constructed and donated 6,200 mostly rural public school buildings all over the archipelago from Aparri to Tawi-Tawi.

FFCCCII is an umbrella aggrupation of 170 Filipino Chinese chambers and diverse industry organizations nationwide, now led by President Dr. Cecilio K. Pedro.

Anna-Marie Harling wrote in the British newspaper “The Guardian” in 2017 that Chinese philanthropy has been a long tradition. 

Book author and former United Nations official Dr. Zu Liangrong wrote: “As early as 2,500 years ago, Laozi, an ancient Chinese philosopher, the founder of philosophical Taoism, discovered the role of the Tao or the purpose in life and universe. Wisdom of Taoism has inspired and guided people with precepts of compassion, harmony, cooperation, integrity, humility and prudence. Taoism’s thought as the master virtue allows individuals, organizations, and society to cultivate purpose for a sustainable life, and directs leaders to pursue a basic blueprint of not only doing good, but also being good.”

In his study of ethnic Chinese philanthropy in Southeast Asia, Professor Dr. Thomas Menkhoff wrote that traditionally, philanthropic virtues such as civic betterment, benevolence, charity, compassion or generosity have always been important in Chinese culture as shown by the teachings of Confucianism, Buddhism and folk religion. Both philosophers Confucius and Mencius considered philanthropy as “the distinguishing characteristic of man, as one of the fundamental constituents of nobleness and superiority of character”.

Some modern-day examples of Filipino Chinese community philanthropies:

The Philippines’ foremost philanthropists support FFCCCII charities, such as Tan Yan Kee Foundation