LANNANG SYMPOSIUM 2025: PCC DELEGATES DEEPEN CHINESE-FILIPINO IDENTITY
LANNANG SYMPOSIUM 2025: PCC DELEGATES DEEPEN CHINESE-FILIPINO IDENTITY
by CHEN, YINKUN (10B) | July 26, 2025
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INTRAMUROS, Manila - The Philippine Cultural College (PCC) Main Campus delegates from Grades 10-12 immersed themselves in Chinese-Filipino culture and language at the Lannang Symposium 2025, held from July 10 to 12 at the Kaisa-Angelo King Heritage Center. The three-day symposium, themed "Embracing Diversity, Building Community," aimed to foster appreciation for Lannang (Philippine Hokkien) heritage through discussions, workshops, and cultural presentations.
The Lannang symposium highlighted the five pre-symposium satellite events and 18 sessions, encompassing Lannang culture, dialects, history, and identity. The symposium was structured around three themes: "One Heritage, Many Roots (Day 1)," "One Language, Many Styles (Day 2)," and "One People, Many Experiences (Day 3)." PCCians engaged in three breakout sessions, choosing from “Language and Styles,” “Heritage and Roots,” and “People and Experiences.”
These themes reflected the heterogeneous lived experiences of the Lannang community, locally and globally. The event provided a platform for dialogue, conversation, and introspection. It further empowered Lannangs for a shared and inclusive future.
One Heritage, Many Roots
One Heritage, Many Roots
The first day commenced with opening remarks from Stuart Gan, followed by Mr. Wilkinson Gonzales, founder of The Lannang Archives (TLA), who emphasized the importance of “reconnecting to our roots to people who drifted away."
Keynote speaker Dr. Caroline Hau lectured on the meaning of being Lannang, its cultural significance. She explained how individuals of Chinese descent have deeply integrated local culture and language, and identify as Lannangs across different Southeast Asian (SEA) regions.
Following these foundational discussions, PCCians engaged in breakout sessions.
In “Language and Styles” breakout session, delegates learned basic conservative-style Philippine Hokkien from Mr. Marvin Sy. In “Heritage and Roots,” Mr. Eduardo De la Cruz traced the “Lannang Ancestry Roots.” Simultaneously, the “People and Experiences” session featured Msgr. Bong Lo LRMS, and Rev. Fr. Pete Tieng LRMS, who connected Chinese heritage to the Church in their discussion “Lannang Church Experience, Preaching Catholic.” This was moderated by Rev. Fr. Ari Dy, SJ.
The Philippine Association for Chinese Studies (PACS) hosted a panel discussion titled “Multiple Origins of the Lannang,” featuring Ms. Shar Cua, Ms. Jane Yugioksing, Mr. Tan Cho Chiong, and Ms. Teresita Ang See.
Students viewed a film showcase titled, “Lannang Filmmaking Across the Philippines,” coordinated by Mr. John Peter Chua and Mr. Gershom Chua. The screening included three short films: “Ngohiong” by Mr. Hanz Florentino (Cebu), “Golden Bells” by Mr. Kurt Soberano (Bacolod), and “The Dragon in the Clouds” by Mr. Adrian Lo (Davao).
The first day concluded with a talk show titled “Lannangs Across the Philippines,” moderated by Mr. Wilkinson Daniel Wong Gonzales and Ms. Carmelea Ang See. Guest speakers Mr. Laurence Lu (Davao), Ms. Lizbeth Marie Lim (Zamboanga), Mr. Ed Lim (Eastern Visayas), and Mr. Adrian William J. Lo (Southern Mindanao) shared the diverse experiences of Lannangs nationwide.
One Language, Many styles
One Language, Many styles
The program started with three breakout sessions. In the first breakout session, Mr. Marvin Sy talked about “Learning Lannang Languages: Conservative-style Lannang-ue (Basic-Intermediate).” Simultaneously, the second breakout session offered valuable insights into the traditions and cultural practices of the Lannang community in Mr. Giancarlo Gonzaga’s “Lannang Customs and Practices.” In the third breakout session, Mr. Jeffrey Layva reminisced about the “Downtown Lannang School Experience (Part 1).”
The second day kicked off with an interactive activity, hosted by Mr. Jasper Yeung and Ms. Issa Gonzales, where delegates searched for the Lannang-ue Word of the Year. PCCians Jessica Wang (12A), Yai Yin Grace Lim (12A), Jake Zhang (12B), Tiffany Li (10A), and English Academic Department teacher Mr. John Leo Lavendia were interviewed about their word choices.
A community project titled “Lannang Stories (Mixed-style Lannang Ue)” led by Ms. Denisse Co and Mr. Eric Dy, showcased Lannang children's books like “Ya, Special,” highlighting how engaging young learners can connect with the language in a fun and approachable way. This was complemented by Mr. Oliver Monghit’s talk “Lannang-ue and Variation,” which discussed different letter sounds, tones, and pronunciation across the Lannang dialect.
Mr. Clifford Robin Temprosa shared his personal journey from living in the Philippines to migrating to the United States, detailing challenges and strategies for sustaining Lannang communities overseas in his talk, “Lannangs, Language, and Migration.” The “Now Steaming Live” podcast segment featured Mr. Stan Sy, Mr. Cedric Cheng, and Ms. Kimberly Mae, whose episode “Difficult Topics in the Lannang Community” shared personal experiences of growing up in conservative households and emphasized open communication.
A comedic segment, “Pampa-tshinn: Comedy Session” by comedy content creators Mr. Ansis Sy and Chinoy Bardagulan composed of Mr. Thunderson Tan, Mr. Sam Cua, and Mr. Justin Chua, highlighted how short-form Hokkien videos engaged younger audiences and preserved the language and culture through humor and information.
Day 2 concluded with a panel discussion of “Lannangs, Language, and Comedy,” moderated by Mr. Stuart Gan and featured Mr. Ansis Sy, Mr. Justin Chua, Mr. Sam Cua, and Mr. Thunderson Tan.
One People, Many experiences
One People, Many experiences
The final day began with a panel session titled “Lannangs in Non-Traditional Professions,” featuring speakers Ms. Richelle Sy-Kho and Mr. Harveen Ang. This was moderated by Mr. Edric Dy. They discussed pursuing careers beyond traditional expectations, such as journalism, teaching, and media, offering insights into navigating these fields and balancing them with traditional expectations.
Specific breakout sessions delved deeper into the Lannang identity. In “Language and Styles,” Mr. Marvin Sy held a talk on “Words and Spelling in Lannang-ue.” He continued his session in the afternoon with “Learning Lannang Languages: Conservative-style Lannang-ue (Advanced).”
In “Heritage and Roots,” Mr. Sigmund Ban Siy, Ms. Rauha Huigiok Lim, and Mr. Edric Dy explored “Creative Works in Lannang-ue,” while Ms. Connie Chua shared insights from “Downtown Lannang School Experience (Part 2).”
Meanwhile, the “People and Experiences” session featured Ms. Maddigan Sy, who touched on the “Young Lannang Spotlight,” and “Lannang Language Lag: Rhymes & Translators” and Dr. Juliet Uytanlet, who offered perspectives on “The Lannang Church Experience (Protestant Version).”
A community assembly and open forum then discussed the current state of “Lannang Ue,” its values, beauty, and the richness of mixed-use language, which was hosted by Mr. Sigmund Ban Siy, and Mr. Wilkinson Daniel Wong Gonzales. PCCians Jimmy Tan (12B) and Jessica Wang (12A) were among the youth voices addressing questions on stage. The discussion also touched on the Lannang orthography and its first edition of the Lannang Manifesto, which aims for a unified “Lannang Ue.”
The symposium concluded with the announcement of the Lannang Word of the Year: "ki-hue" – meaning opportunity. Selected through a Google survey and voting process, “ki-hue” reflects the community’s hope for growth and unity as part of the Lannang identity.
As the symposium concluded, the Kaisa-Angelo King Heritage Center expressed gratitude to all participants, especially PCC for its active involvement. Attendees were encouraged to volunteer with the Kaisa Team and The Lannang Archives (TLA), inviting more youth to help preserve and promote the Lannang identity.
The symposium served not only as a venue to share the Lannang identity with PCCians, but also as a partner in upholding PCC’s vision of “appreciating its cultural heritage and being proud of its identity.”
Written by: Chen, Yinkun (10B)
First Review: Mr. Stephen Allen M. Dy, L.P.T.
Second Review: Mrs. Peggie T. Gan
Third Review: Dr. Sining Marcos Kotah
Images by: Chen, Yinkun (10B)
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