MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Saturday reaffirmed the Philippines and China’s enduring friendship and recognized the two nations’ shared history, as he led the ceremonial lighting of iconic Jones Bridge in Manila.
“I am also glad to share that tonight’s event has a deeper meaning. This project commemorates 50 years of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and the People’s Republic of China. Half a century of friendship and shared history, all reflected here in the world’s oldest Chinatown,” he said during the ceremony.
Marcos said Jones Bridge played a significant role in the two countries’ bilateral relations, stressing that it serves as a landmark “that has endured wars, floods, and a long, long history.”
He said the event is part of the Chinatown Revitalization Project, restoring Binondo District and reaffirming its significance to Filipino and Chinese communities’ shared heritage.
“We can imagine generations of workers crossing the bridge to reach Escolta. Students rushing [home] from class, taho (soy pudding) vendors, jeepney drivers, lovers meeting halfway, all passing under the same lamp posts. So tonight, we proudly light up the iconic Jones Bridge in all its renewed glory and breathe new life into it,” he said.
Escolta Street was Manila’s premier shopping district and commercial center, created in 1594.
The President said the new lights and sounds attraction at the Jones Bridge is just part of his administration’s bigger push to bring life back into historic districts.
“We will transform Binondo into a place that we can always return to. From the old Manileños to the first-time visitors, lahat welcome dito (everyone is welcome here). Because how can we know our history and culture if we do not know and experience them ourselves?” he said.
“As we speak, we are implementing projects to revitalize the Pasig River, including the Pasig River Urban Development Project so our people can breathe and move more easily. They complement what we are doing here in Binondo because an iconic bridge deserves a city that rises along with it,” he added.
Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian said the Philippines and China should seek cooperation, instead of confrontation and conflict.
“China and the Philippines are close neighbors that cannot move apart,” he said in his speech. “It is our sincere hope that more and more people will join our efforts to bring our relationship back to even better future.”
The symbolic lighting of Jones Bridge was sponsored by the Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce & Industry, Inc. (FFCCCII).
The Philippines and China established formal diplomatic relations on June 9, 1975.
Saturday’s event celebrated not just the two countries’ friendship but also the cultural and economic significance of Binondo, renowned as the world’s oldest Chinatown and standing as a testament to the shared heritage and deep-rooted ties between the Filipino and Chinese communities.
Marcos thanked the FFCCCII and the Binondo community for keeping the place “alive and vibrant and an important part of our continuing cultural evolution.”
He also acknowledged his wife, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, for being “one of the moving forces behind all of this.”
“You have done much more for our heritage, more than you can ever know,” he said. “And to the government agencies, let us see this project through with the same vigor and dedication that we have shown to bring it this far.”
Marcos said the government would transform Ongpin and Escolta Streets into cultural and economic hubs, stressing that this is “the real revitalization that we must partake [in] to sustain our homes, our city, and in that way, our culture.” (PNA)
By Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos
