THE PATH TOWARDS PEACEFUL CO-EXISTENCE THROUGH BRIDGING CULTURE AND BRIDGING DIALOGUE

From 1571-1898, the Chinese community in Manila was formed. The friendship between Spanish administration and Chinese residents was governed by laws, rules and legislations. Andew R. Wilson said: "Two main factors conditioned the evolution of the Manila-Chinese community between 1571 and 1898. First, the nature of Spanish colonial rule was well suited to certain forms of Chinese social and economic organization prevalent in the migrants’ place of origin, namely, the commercially sophisticated southern Fujian prefectures of Zhangzhou and Quanzhou. The preadaptation to a commercial economy based on wholesale-retail networks and export allowed the southern Fujianese, or Hokkiens, to exploit quickly the opportunities made available by the Spanish presence in Southeast Asia. Second, the specific Chinese legislation enacted by the Spanish and the economic and political development of the Philippines over the course of Spanish rule first promoted and then discouraged Chinese assimilation with native indios." Laws and regulations became the instrument of bridging culture during the Spanish era. This indicates that cultures and administrations can be bridged through an instrument and in this case-the laws governing trade. The Chinese community in Manila was shaped through agents who would implement and guide them. Thus, the local church should be able to see its mission of bridging cultures. The Chinese in the Philippines are accustomed to have a community of their own and are also governed by their mentalities, their cultures, their associations. Bridging cultures is an important evangelizing vision among the Chinese in the Philippines. The "bridge" is an important image that will describe the entire missionary direction and method to bring about the Gospel among the Chinese in the Philippines.

The mission of "bridging cultures" and "bridging dialogue" is a path towards peace and co-existence. In 2001, John Paul II clarified that to acknowledge and to bridge cultures are channels towards peace. The way to culture is the way to peace. In his message to the world, John Paul II said: I therefore consider it urgent to invite believers in Christ, together with all men and women of good will, to reflect on the theme of dialogue between cultures and traditions. This dialogue is the obligator path to the building of a reconciled world, a world, able to look with serenity to its own future."

As early as the 16th century, the Spaniards discovered that to build a peaceful home in the Philippines was through creating cultural bridges to secure more developed trade and commercial exchanges. Cultures are primarily to be bridged before other forms of enterprise. John Paul II comments that "reflecting upon the human situation, one is always amazed at the complexity and diversity of human cultures. Each of them is distinct by virtue of its specific historical evolution and the resulting characteristics wich make it a structurally unique, original and organic whole. Culture is the form of man's self expression in his journey through history, on the level of both individuals and social groups."

It is the challenge for the local church to build bridges towards local cultures. Peace, which is a significant human value that advances cultures should be one of the primary concerns of every movement towards integral evangelization. Peace is not the absence of war or conflict, it is the development of the entire person and culture. Cultural differences call for mutual respect and peaceful co-existence. The Chinese in the Philippines had been long residents of the country. Asserting their cultural history, acknowledging their distinct culture and traditions, affirming their significant roles in Philippine society, and recognizing their capacity to be missionaries are important considerations for creative and transformative Filipino-Chinese Apostolate. Bridging cultures and bridging dialogue are important missionary paradigms in the evangelization among the local Chinese in the Philippines. It has to be noted that according to the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines no. 109 says: around 20% of the Chinese in the Philippines had received sufficient evangelization.

SIGNS TOWARD A "BRIDGING DIALOGUE"