Arab traders have been visiting the Philippines for about 2,000 years, playing a prominent role in the trade networks of the time. They used Southeast Asia for stopovers and trading posts.[2] Since the 14th century, Arab travelers such as Makhdun Karim is known to have reached the Philippines and brought Islam to the region.[3] They moved from the southern islands such as Mindanao and traveled towards the north and converted the Filipinos to Islam, many of these early Arabs married Filipina women.[4]
Filipinos with Arab background
mga Arabo
Total population
Estimated 2% of population have partial Arab ancestry[1]
That same century Syrian Arabs also brought Christianity to the region along with pre-Islamic belief systems.[4] An estimated 2% of the population of the Philippines, about 2.2 million people, could claim partial Arab ancestry.[5]
Arab traders have been visiting Philippines for nearly 2,000 years. Since the 14th century Arab travelers had traded extensively with local chiefs, datos and rajahs. During the advent of Islam into Southeast Asia, Makhdum Karim, the first Islamic missionary to reach the Sulu Archipelago, brought Islam to what is now the Philippines, first arriving in Tawi-Tawi.[3]
Arab and Persian traders passed by the Philippines, on their way to Guangzhou, China. Subsequent visits of Arab Muslim missionaries strengthened the Islamic faith in the Philippines, concentrating in the south and reaching as far north as Manila. According to the Syrian Consulate in Makati, the first Orthodox Christians on the islands were Syrian and Lebanese merchants and sailors, who arrived in Manila after the city was opened to international trade. Many of the Lebanese sailors married local women and their descendants have since become Philippine citizens.[citation needed]
Political and economic relations were enhanced in the 1970s between the Philippines and Arab nations, this was during the period of oil shocks and political instability in the Middle East. This led to closer collaboration between the countries and led to an increase in Philippine laborers working in the Middle East.[2]
In recent times, another wave of Arabs to arrive in the Philippines were refugees from war-torn nations, such as Lebanon (undergoing civil war in the 1980s) and Arab other nations involved in the Gulf War in 1991. While other Arabs were entrepreneurs who intend to set up businesses. Filipinos with Arab descent live primarily in Mindanao, while the more recent immigrants live in Manila.[citation needed]
Cesar Majuledit
Filipino author Cesar Adib Majul, the son of a Greek Orthodox Christian immigrant from Syria, converted to Islam in his late adulthood. He became a prominent historian on the Muslim Moro people and the history of Islam in the Philippines and wrote many books about Moros and Islam.[6][7]
Notable peopleedit
Movie and TV celebritiesedit
Charlie Davao (real name: Carlos Wahib Valdez Davao: Jordanian from maternal grandmother's side)
Mona Louise Rey (real name: Mona Marbella Al-Alawi; Bahraini) - child actress and model
Ivana Alawi (real name: Mariam Marbella Al-Alawi; Bahraini) - actress, model, YouTuber; older sister of Mona Louise Rey
Beauty Pageant Titleholdersedit
Mary Jean Lastimosa (real name: Mary Jean Ramirez Lastimosa; Saudi Arabian) - Binibining Pilipinas Miss Universe Philippines 2014 and Miss Universe 2014 Top 10 semifinalist
Gazini Ganados (real name: Gazini Christiana Jordi Acopiado Ganados; Palestinian) - Binibining Pilipinas Miss Universe Philippines 2019 and Miss Universe 2019 Top 20 semifinalist
World War II guerrillasedit
Maj. Khalil Khodr (Syrian) - Mining engineer in Agusan Province, regimental commander of 110th Division, 10th Military District of the US Forces in the Philippines (USFIP) guerrillas in Mindanao, naturalized as Filipino citizen by a Congressional Act in 1962.[10][11]
^Arab world’s ancient links to Philippines forged through trade, migration and Islam By Saeb Rawashdeh
^ ab"Arab world's ancient links to Philippines forged through trade, migration and Islam — ambassador". Jordan Times. 2016-10-11. Retrieved 2022-05-02.
^DAILY STAR: Star Life September 26, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
^"Papers of Colonel Clyde C. Childress, USA". MacArthur Memorial. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
^"Republic Act No. 3455 - An Act granting Filipino Citizenship to Khalil Khodr". Supreme Court E-Library. Congress of the Philippines. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
Clarence-Smith, William Gervase (2004). "Middle Eastern Migrants in the Philippines: Entrepreneurs and Cultural Brokers". Asian Journal of Social Science. BRILL. 32 (3): 425–457 – via JSTOR.
January 19, 2024
arabs, philippines, arab, traders, have, been, visiting, philippines, about, years, playing, prominent, role, trade, networks, time, they, used, southeast, asia, stopovers, trading, posts, since, 14th, century, arab, travelers, such, makhdun, karim, known, hav. Arab traders have been visiting the Philippines for about 2 000 years playing a prominent role in the trade networks of the time They used Southeast Asia for stopovers and trading posts 2 Since the 14th century Arab travelers such as Makhdun Karim is known to have reached the Philippines and brought Islam to the region 3 They moved from the southern islands such as Mindanao and traveled towards the north and converted the Filipinos to Islam many of these early Arabs married Filipina women 4 Filipinos with Arab backgroundmga AraboTotal populationEstimated 2 of population have partial Arab ancestry 1 Regions with significant populationsMindanao Metro Manila VisayasLanguagesArabic Filipino English other languages of the PhilippinesReligionSunni Islam Greek Orthodox Christianity Catholicism OthersRelated ethnic groupsArab diasporaThat same century Syrian Arabs also brought Christianity to the region along with pre Islamic belief systems 4 An estimated 2 of the population of the Philippines about 2 2 million people could claim partial Arab ancestry 5 Contents 1 History 2 Cesar Majul 3 Notable people 3 1 Movie and TV celebrities 3 2 Beauty Pageant Titleholders 3 3 World War II guerrillas 3 4 YouTube Personalities 4 See also 5 ReferencesHistory editArab traders have been visiting Philippines for nearly 2 000 years Since the 14th century Arab travelers had traded extensively with local chiefs datos and rajahs During the advent of Islam into Southeast Asia Makhdum Karim the first Islamic missionary to reach the Sulu Archipelago brought Islam to what is now the Philippines first arriving in Tawi Tawi 3 Arab and Persian traders passed by the Philippines on their way to Guangzhou China Subsequent visits of Arab Muslim missionaries strengthened the Islamic faith in the Philippines concentrating in the south and reaching as far north as Manila According to the Syrian Consulate in Makati the first Orthodox Christians on the islands were Syrian and Lebanese merchants and sailors who arrived in Manila after the city was opened to international trade Many of the Lebanese sailors married local women and their descendants have since become Philippine citizens citation needed Political and economic relations were enhanced in the 1970s between the Philippines and Arab nations this was during the period of oil shocks and political instability in the Middle East This led to closer collaboration between the countries and led to an increase in Philippine laborers working in the Middle East 2 In recent times another wave of Arabs to arrive in the Philippines were refugees from war torn nations such as Lebanon undergoing civil war in the 1980s and Arab other nations involved in the Gulf War in 1991 While other Arabs were entrepreneurs who intend to set up businesses Filipinos with Arab descent live primarily in Mindanao while the more recent immigrants live in Manila citation needed Cesar Majul editFilipino author Cesar Adib Majul the son of a Greek Orthodox Christian immigrant from Syria converted to Islam in his late adulthood He became a prominent historian on the Muslim Moro people and the history of Islam in the Philippines and wrote many books about Moros and Islam 6 7 Notable people editMovie and TV celebrities edit Charlie Davao real name Carlos Wahib Valdez Davao Jordanian from maternal grandmother s side Dawn Zulueta real name Rachel Marie Salman Taleon Palestinian from maternal grandfather s side 8 Kuh Ledesma of Lebanese lineage Ana Roces real name Marinella Adad Lebanese 9 Uma Khouny Palestinian Yasmien Kurdi Lebanese Jessy Mendiola real name Jessica Mendiola Tawile Lebanese Mona Louise Rey real name Mona Marbella Al Alawi Bahraini child actress and model Ivana Alawi real name Mariam Marbella Al Alawi Bahraini actress model YouTuber older sister of Mona Louise ReyBeauty Pageant Titleholders edit Mary Jean Lastimosa real name Mary Jean Ramirez Lastimosa Saudi Arabian Binibining Pilipinas Miss Universe Philippines 2014 and Miss Universe 2014 Top 10 semifinalist Gazini Ganados real name Gazini Christiana Jordi Acopiado Ganados Palestinian Binibining Pilipinas Miss Universe Philippines 2019 and Miss Universe 2019 Top 20 semifinalistWorld War II guerrillas edit Maj Khalil Khodr Syrian Mining engineer in Agusan Province regimental commander of 110th Division 10th Military District of the US Forces in the Philippines USFIP guerrillas in Mindanao naturalized as Filipino citizen by a Congressional Act in 1962 10 11 YouTube Personalities edit Zeinab Harake Lebanese The Hungry Syrian Wanderer real name Basel Manadil Syrian ForeignGerms real name Samer Ousta Syrian See also editArab diaspora Arab Christians Islam in the Philippines Philippine Orthodox ChurchReferences edit Arab world s ancient links to Philippines forged through trade migration and Islam By Saeb Rawashdeh a b Arab world s ancient links to Philippines forged through trade migration and Islam ambassador Jordan Times 2016 10 11 Retrieved 2022 05 02 a b Quiling Mucha Shim 2016 11 07 Tawi tawi celebrates Karim ul Makhdum Day MindaNews Retrieved 2022 05 02 a b Project Joshua Arab in Philippines joshuaproject net Retrieved 2022 05 02 Arab world s ancient links to Philippines forged through trade migration and Islam ambassador Jordan Times 2016 10 11 Retrieved 2022 05 02 Artchil Daug 2012 Thoughts from the Mountaintop Essays on Philippine History and other Magical Realisms Lulu com p 111 ISBN 978 1 105 66059 7 Leon Ma Guerrero 19 July 2012 The First Filipino The Award Winning Biography of Jose Rizal BookBaby p 400 ISBN 978 1 62309 293 1 ABS CBN Interactive permanent dead link DAILY STAR Star Life Archived September 26 2007 at the Wayback Machine Papers of Colonel Clyde C Childress USA MacArthur Memorial Retrieved 9 October 2023 Republic Act No 3455 An Act granting Filipino Citizenship to Khalil Khodr Supreme Court E Library Congress of the Philippines Retrieved 9 October 2023 Clarence Smith William Gervase 2004 Middle Eastern Migrants in the Philippines Entrepreneurs and Cultural Brokers Asian Journal of Social Science BRILL 32 3 425 457 via JSTOR Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Arabs in the Philippines amp oldid 1191260671, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
