Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce & Industry, Inc. (FFCCCII) led by President Dr. Cecilio K. Pedro presented gift of P5 million to the Philippines’ first Hangzhou Asian Games gold medal winner and world’s No. 2 best pole vault athlete EJ Uy Obiena. The gift is a reward and also to support his 2024 Paris Olympic bid. The ceremony was held on October 10 at the FFCCCII Building in Binondo, Manila in the presence of FFCCCII leaders and media.
Also today in the same occasion, FFCCCII Honorary President Ambassador Francis Chua added his personal donation of P1 million pesos for EJ Obiena. Dr. Chua said he and Obiena’s father have the same Chua family lineage and also from the same ancestral Tengtang village in Jinjiang, Fujian province, south China.
Dr. Cecilio Pedro congratulated Obiena “for bringing glory to the Philippines and honor to the Filipino Chinese community” with his Asiad victory. He said: “EJ Uy Obiena is our Filipino Chinese community’s contribution to the Philippines, exemplifying our being ‘Dugong Tsino, Pusong Pinoy’ of cherishing our ethnic Chinese heritage and at the same time being full-pledged Filipino citizens helping Philippine progress”. Dr. Pedro also said Obiena’s win helped to promote goodwill and traditional friendship between the Philippines and China, with the 80,000 Chinese crowd at Hangzhou Olympic Stadium cheering his win.
A total of P11 million had already been given EJ Obiena by the Filipino Chinese community to support his 2024 Olympics bid. Apart from FFCCCII’s P5 million gift, last October 7, other Filipino Chinese donors also gave P5 million pesos gifts to EJ Obiena at Chiang Kai Shek College in Manila—P1 million from FFCCCII honorary executive adviser Ambassador Carlos Chan of Oishi snacks/Liwayway Group, P3 million from Obiena’s alma mater Chiang Kai Sherk College, and P1 million from philanthropist Anson Tan of Philippine Quanzhou Association.
FFCCCII is the largest umbrella organization of 170 Filipino Chinese chambers of commerce and other diverse business industry associations throughout the Philippines, from Aparri to Tawi Tawi. Among the many economic, cultural and charity projects of the FFCCCII include its “Operation Barrio School” which has already constructed and donated over 6,200 public schoolbuildings for rural places nationwide, support for Filipino Chinese volunteer fire brigades nationwide, etc.