2017年CRI Outstanding Filipinos on their lives in China

 

As Chinese Premiere Li Keqiang kicked off his visit to the Philippines, some Philippine nationals have shared their experience living and working in China.

As CRI's Guan Chao reports, the interviewees shed light on their prospect¹ for the future between China and the Philippines.

After getting his college degree, Jerson Palaci Estoro gave up his career in business management to pursue what he enjoys the most.

Starting off as an amateur boxer², the 37-year-old Filipino received professional mixed martial³ art training for a number of years.

Now, he holds a Universal Reality Combat Championship title after winning it in his home country in 2008.

"I focus more on my technique. I train hard. And then I make sure that every fight I need to win so that my ranking will go high. And if my rankings are high already, I can go to the championship."

Estoro came to China in 2010.

Now a coach and manager at a Beijing-based gym named Fight Republic, Estoro says he enjoys his work here.

As he shares stories, the championship-holder says he feels fatherly responsibilities when teaching younger students, which as he observes is due to the influence of traditional Philippine martial art ethics⁴.

"During the fight, I was so nervous every time they get hit. 'Hands up!' It feels like I am their father, you know. I don't want them to get hurt. That's why every time I trained them for their fight, I train them really hard. I teach all the techniques that I know so that during the fight they can defend themselves, so that they can win the fight."

As a professional coach, Estoro has noticed that as the quality of life improves in China, Chinese people are increasingly aware of the value of physical exercise and fitness.

In particular, with the rise in popularity of some Chinese combat stars, more and more young Chinese people are growing fond of boxing.

"Since some Chinese boxers⁵ become champions, like Zou Shiming, boxing is now getting popular in China. More unprofessional boxers, like some Chinese young guys, are training and want to become professional boxers."

Also marveling at the great economic achievements in China, Filipino primary school teacher Luz Lopez, who also lives in China, says her greatest comfort lies in her family.

"Just having a simple but happy family is good enough for me. I couldn't ask for more, any more. I've got my son. I've got my parents in law, who are actually very much understanding. We have very good harmonious⁶ relationship so far. So I couldn't think of anything that I would like to have in my life this time in China. I'm actually very much thankful being in China – I found a family."

Lopez came to China in 2005, after meeting her husband – a Chinese national from Hunan province.

Now, a mother of a twelve-year-old boy, she finds her job quite fulfilling at a local primary school in the provincial⁷ capital Changsha.

"Then I decided⁸ to come at first to be a housewife. And it was a pleasant surprise that wow teaching English in China, what a kind of a big thing."

With regards to relations between China and the Philippines, she says she feels a great responsibility in helping⁹ promote communications between the two sides.

"Actually recently the Philippines has been rapidly increasing relations and cooperating with China on various issues. We are actually hoping and looking forward to… I mean this relationship between the two countries can actually deepen and will continue."

Meanwhile, in her spare time, Lopez has also been engaged in a number of non-profit organizations in China.

For CRI, I'm Guan Chao.

1 prospect   

n.前景，前途；景色，视野

参考例句：

• This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。
• The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。

2 boxer   

n.制箱者，拳击手

参考例句：

• The boxer gave his opponent a punch on the nose.这个拳击手朝他对手的鼻子上猛击一拳。
• He moved lightly on his toes like a boxer.他像拳击手一样踮着脚轻盈移动。

3 martial   

adj.战争的，军事的，尚武的，威武的

参考例句：

• The sound of martial music is always inspiring.军乐声总是鼓舞人心的。
• The officer was convicted of desertion at a court martial.这名军官在军事法庭上被判犯了擅离职守罪。

4 ethics   

n.伦理学；伦理观，道德标准

参考例句：

• The ethics of his profession don't permit him to do that.他的职业道德不允许他那样做。
• Personal ethics and professional ethics sometimes conflict.个人道德和职业道德有时会相互抵触。

5 boxers   

n.拳击短裤；（尤指职业）拳击手( boxer的名词复数 )；拳师狗

参考例句：

• The boxers were goaded on by the shrieking crowd. 拳击运动员听见观众的喊叫就来劲儿了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The boxers slugged it out to the finish. 两名拳击手最后决出了胜负。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 harmonious   

adj.和睦的，调和的，和谐的，协调的

参考例句：

• Their harmonious relationship resulted in part from their similar goals.他们关系融洽的部分原因是他们有着相似的目标。
• The room was painted in harmonious colors.房间油漆得色彩调和。

7 provincial   

adj.省的，地方的；n．外省人，乡下人

参考例句：

• City dwellers think country folk have provincial attitudes.城里人以为乡下人思想迂腐。
• Two leading cadres came down from the provincial capital yesterday.昨天从省里下来了两位领导干部。

8 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

9 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。