Tsina Sa Aking Mata

26/08/2026

What does it really mean to “make it” in China?

A teaching job that was supposed to last one year.

A singer who became a baker.

A scientist tackling mountain hazards.

A teacher shaping Chinese students.

A cricket team that started with domestic workers.

An entrepreneur who built a business from scratch.

And a Filipino who quit his job, followed his heart to China — and turned Arnis into a bridge between two cultures.

These are not stories you’ll find in trade figures or diplomatic communiqués.

They are stories of risk, reinvention, resilience, love and unexpected success.
I wrote about the Filipinos behind the statistics — the people who crossed borders without leaving their identity behind.

50 stories. One bigger story: how ordinary Filipinos are helping build the Philippines-China relationship, one encounter at a time.

Read: Made It in China: The Filipino Stories You Won’t See in the Statistics.

What does it really mean to “make it” in China? A teaching job that was supposed to last one year. A singer who became a baker. A scientist tackling mountain...

25/08/2026

Playing around with AI, and this is the result --- Jose Rizal the Arnisador😀😀😀

24/08/2026

China is opening new doors for Filipinos.

From careers and business to new opportunities and personal success, more Filipinos are finding ways to thrive in China while supporting their families back home.

Philippine Ambassador to China Jaime A. FlorCruz says the growing stories of Filipino success in China are worth highlighting—and they offer a powerful message of what is possible when Filipinos dare to explore opportunities beyond familiar shores.

Read the full story on TSAMNews.com: Filipinos finding opportunities, success in China, FlorCruz says



https://tsamnews.com/article/filipinos-finding-opportunities-success-in-china-florcruz-says

BEIJING — China can be a destination for Filipinos seeking to pursue their career ambitions, with many already finding success in various fields and...

24/08/2026

Here is an important news for all Filipinos living in the jurisdiction of the Philippine Embassy in Beijing.

Read the full article:

The Philippine Embassy in Beijing opens its Consular Section on designated Sundays to provide accessible passport, notarial, civil registry, and other...

23/08/2026

Beyond the headlines. Beyond the usual narrative. Beyond borders.

There are stories about the Philippines and China that rarely make the front page—stories of people, history, culture, forgotten connections, unexpected encounters and the ties that have quietly linked our two countries for centuries.

TSAM News digs deeper.

From Beijing to Manila. From diplomacy and trade to heritage, tourism, Arnis and the stories of ordinary people who build extraordinary bridges.

This is journalism with a different lens.

Sharp on the issues. Grounded in the facts. Focused on the people.

Welcome to TSAM News—where the Philippines meets China, and stories cross borders.

👉 Read. Discover. Question. Connect.

https://tsamnews.com/

23/08/2026

What if one of the most fascinating chapters in Philippine–China history has been hiding in plain sight?

Long before modern diplomacy, Jinjiang, Manila, and the maritime world of Zheng Chenggong, more popularly known as Koxinga, were already connected by trade, migration, threat of war, and the sea.

Who was Koxinga?

Why did Jinjiang, Quanzhou, China's southeastern province, become so important to this story?

And what links this coastal city in Fujian to the Philippines?

My latest article explores a forgotten maritime connection between the Philippines and China—a story of merchants, sailors, communities and history that crossed the South China Sea centuries ago.

👉 Read the full story on TSAM News:
Koxinga, Jinjiang and Manila: The Forgotten Maritime Connection Between the Philippines and China
https://tsamnews.com/article/koxinga-jinjiang-and-manila-the-forgotten-maritime-connection-between-the-philippines-and-china?previewToken=prev_f3157a14bb7ef21177287fea9e71ec6e

History is not only found in books. Sometimes, it is written across the sea.

21/08/2026

From Pastry Chef to Shanghai Entrepreneur: Filipino Businessman Builds Jobs, Promotes Philippine Tourism

SHANGHAI, China — A Filipino who started his career as a pastry chef is now building businesses, creating jobs for fellow Filipinos and promoting Philippine tourism in Shanghai. Ryan Amparo Otmana’s journey from employee to entrepreneur reflects how hard work, courage and the willingness to take risks can create new opportunities abroad.

What began with a bakery eventually grew into a food and beverage venture that includes My Place, a Filipino-owned bar that opened in Shanghai in 2015. Otmana says his success is not measured by profits alone, but also by his ability to provide employment and help fellow Filipinos find opportunities in Shanghai’s food and beverage industry.
Beyond business, Otmana has also become an informal bridge between China and the Philippines. Through his businesses, Chinese customers are introduced to Filipino food, hospitality and culture, while many also turn to him for travel recommendations to destinations such as Boracay, Palawan and Bohol. For Otmana, every customer interaction is another opportunity to showcase the Philippines and demonstrate the growing role of Filipinos abroad as entrepreneurs, employers and cultural ambassadors.

Read all about it:
https://tsamnews.com/article/from-pastry-chef-to-shanghai-entrepreneur-filipino-businessman-builds-jobs-promotes-philippine-tourism?previewToken=prev_d07bf35566f0c5737dd6d3abaca8779b

20/08/2026

Baston y Daga: A Father-Daughter Journey in Arnis de Mano

Training Arnis de Mano with my daughter is more than learning how to handle the baston and daga. It is about discipline, trust, timing, control—and most importantly, spending time together.

Every training session is an opportunity to pass on a piece of our Filipino heritage while helping her develop confidence, focus, and respect for the art.

From father to daughter, one movement at a time.

Arnis de Mano — preserving tradition, strengthening family.