Featured image above shows Victor Lim, president (2nd, right), FFCCCII; William Terence Y. Lim, Jr. (center), new president of Anvil Business Club, member of Media and Public Information Committee, FFCCCIII; Gino Chen, assistant secretary general, FFCCCII; Eduardo Cobankiat (eextreme left) Board member, co-chairman of Media & Public Information Committee, FFCCCII; Pandesal Forum moderator Wilson Flores (extreme right) , co-chairman, Media and Public Information Committee, FFCCCII. (Photo: SDN) 

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KAMUNING BAKERY, Quezon City, July 24, 2026 (SDN) — Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (FFCCCII) President Victor Lim has reiterated the group’s commitment for sustainability and inclusivity in the Philippines.

Lim and other officials of the federation such as William Terence Y. Lim, Jr., president, Anvil Business Club, member of Media and Public Information Committee, FFCCCIII; and Eduardo Cobankiat, Board member, co-chairman of Media & Public Information Committee, FFCCCII, and Chino Chen, assistant secretary general, FFCCCII, met members of the news media and blogging community in a press conference here to promote the advance screening of what they called remarkable Chinese-made movie titled “Dear You.”

“Our Federation has always been committed not only to promoting sustainable and inclusive economic growth in the Philippines and supporting meaningful socio-civic and charitable initiatives, but also to advancing cultural exchanges that foster mutual understanding, strengthen friendship among peoples, and celebrate our shares heritage,” Lim emphasizes.

To make his point, the FFCCCII president cited the visit recently to the Philippines of popular vertical drama actress Zhang Yingfei who starred in the hit series “Linda Walker”, saying her coming to the country hopefully would inspirw Filipino youth to value education, perseverance, and hard work as they pursue a better future.

“This advocacy,” Lim says, reading from a statement, reflects the spirit of our ‘Operation: Barrio Schools’ program, through which the FFCCCII has donated more than 6,500 public school buildings to underserved communities throughout the country since 1961.”

He said the FFCCCII gets the recognition as the first to build such number schools in the country.

As usual, Wilson Flores, owner of the decades-old Kamuning Bakery, Board member, co-chairman of Media & Public Information Committee, FFCCCII, moderated today’s “Pandesal Forum”, as he first introduced the panelists in the press conference’s presidential table.

Anvil Business Club presents “Dear You” to the Filipino moviegoers in partnership with the FFCCCII and will be shown on an advance screening on August 12 exclusively in SM Movie Theaters.

According to an artificial intelligence (AI) Overview online, the Teochew-language drama “Dear You”, directed by Lan Hongchun, chronicles the plight of ” debt-ridden grandson, Hiau-ui, who travels to Thailand in 2026″ searching for his long-lost grandfather, Ten Baksheng. Hiau-ui expects to find not only his grandfather but also fortune.

That’s where the main protagonist’s story becomes complicated. His journey is apparently set-off by a collection of love letters sent to China from Thailand that reveal much of the details of the family’s history.

“Dear You” weaves the present and the past in a cinematic journey with love letters unfolding many, many years of love, sacrifice, and never-before-known stories about Ten Baksheng, a migrant to Thailand to escape being forced to enlist as soldier in China in the times of war.

“Dear You’s” movement from the present to the past — 1940s and 1950s — show the Chinese people’s “massive wave of migration” (xia Nanyang) from China’s coastal chaoshan region to Southeast Asia.”

Lim, Jr., Anvil’s youthful president, most likely a son of early Chinese migrants to the Philippines, drew parallels between his early forbears’ migration to the country and the diaspora of Filipinos sacrificing household togetherness in search of the proverbial greener pasture abroad to lift their family from poverty to a better life.

Watch: Migration of early Chinese to the Philippines and the modern Filipino diaspora (OFWs) as described by Anvil Business Club William Terrence Y. Lim, Jr., saying they have quite the same reasons for leaving their respective countries and families behind. https://fb.watch/IyNhBqLogN/

The Anvil president noted how “pretty straightforward” are the similarities that drove early migrants from China to the Philippines and Filipinos in the modern era (as Pandesal Forum moderator Flores mentioned), the overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), both in search for better opportunities.

Answering the question from SDN Chronicle, Lim, Jr. pointed out the “similarities are pretty straightforward.”

Before, the Chinese migrants left their country “because of lack of opportunities, hardships in the country.” They left the country they loved so much, they families to find greener pastures abroad to earn money and sent the earnings back home.

FFCCCII President Lim and Anvil President Lim both put forth that those left behind in China by the migrants built homes with money they received, spent for education, food.

“Save from earnings and you may become a ‘taipan’,” the FFCCCII president ventured. (A taipan is a powerful business tycoon.)

Anvil’s Lim, Jr. sais what Chinese migrants did in the past “directly mirrors what our brothers and sisters in the Philippines had to go through also. They were both looking for opportunities, looking for employment.”

FFCCCII President Lim took note of Zhang Yingfei’s visit as helping showcase to Chinese audiences the beauty of the Philippines and its tourist destinations that all the more “strengthen the friendship between our peoples.”

He adds: “We firmly believe that tourisn and cultural exchanges help build bridges of goodwill and mutual respect.”

Further, Lim said bringing the film drama “Dear You” to the Philippines for advance showing on August 5 and 8 gives the Filipino Chinese community delight “to continue that mission” of bridging cultures and people’s together.

“This remarkable film has become a major box-office success across Asia. It tells a moving and inspiring story of overseas Chinese experience between Thailand and Southern China — a touching narrative of family, sacrifice, and hope. Beyond deepening cultural understanding and appreciating the history of Chinese migration, this film also highlights the timeless importance of strong family values,” the FFCCCII head says, as he invited the public to watch the movie.

The FFCCCII believes the movie’s message will have a profound connection with Filipinos.

“As a nation with millions of (OFWs) serving in many parts of the world, we understand the sacrifices, separation, and emotional journeys of families striving to build better lives for their loved ones,” Lim says.

The FFCCCII is sponsoring “Dear You’s” advance showing on August 5, 7p.m. at SM Mall of Asia’s IMAX Theater, Pasay City, and August 8, 6:30p.m., SM North EDSA Cinema 3, in cooperation with Anvil Business Club, which is part of the over 170 Filipino Chinese chambers of commerce and business organizations comprising the Federation nationwide.

The FFCCCII officials invited everyone to watch the film, hoping moviegoers would be able to find inspiration in the story about family ties.

Chen: “This movie is really related to what’s happening to the OFWs. This is a really good movie.”

Cobankiat: “I just wanted to invite you on the advance screening of ‘Dear You’ on August 5 and 8, 2026.”

Lim, Jr. “I hope you enjoy the movie.”

FFCCCII President Lim thanked those present at the press conference, hoping everyone will continue to use the arts, culture, and friendship as bridges towards better understanding, unity, and progress.” — EDD K. USMAN (√)

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The author

EDD, a native of Sub-Saharan Africa Buluan/Datu Piang, Maguindanao del Sur, BARMM, college at UST, is a Manila-based journalist for over 40 years (33 years with Manila Bulletin), has five Media Awards (1 with University of the Philippines (UP) 2017 Science Journalism Award), covered and traveled over 40 times abroad), has contributed to Rappler, Business Mirror, Manila Business Insights, Panorama Magazine, Agriculture Magazine, and others, former Manila-based Foreign Correspondent of Saudi Arabia newspapers Saudi Gazette and Riyadh Daily, and The Peninsula (Qatar newspaper), with 2008 East-West Center (EWC) Journalism Seminar in the United States, 2000 Executive IT Seminar in Seoul, South Korea, with three Silver Awards in Photography, writes Muslim and Current Affairs, Enterprise, Science, Tech, Products Launch, and virtually everything under Heaven. (®)