Quiet win

There’s a story that’s probably not in the news.

Filipino businessmen went to China recently and came home with $60 million in sales, or about P3.79 billion. That translates to real money, real jobs, and real families helped.

At the 23rd China-ASEAN Expo 2026 at the Nanning International Convention and Exhibition Center in Nanning, Guangxi, China, on 17-21 September, the Philippines was hailed as this year’s “Country of Honor” because we got the big stage and a lot of attention. And Filipinos made the most of it.

The five-day event showcased trade, investment, technology, and economic cooperation between China and ASEAN member countries. Around 70 Philippine companies joined. They sold coconut products, durian, clothes, personal care items, and more.

They closed deals. Data showed their $60 million in sales was the highest since Filipino businessmen started joining the expo in 2004. It beat its old record of $49 million in 2024.

Here’s the irony worthy of our attention. Our government spent only P15 million to reap a pretty impressive return!

Meanwhile, we keep hearing about billions disappearing into corrupt local officials’ pockets. What our country could accomplish if just a fraction of all that money went to supporting ordinary Filipinos who are actually working hard to build something!

All told, the problem isn’t always a lack of public funds. Most often, it’s where the money goes — and who benefits from it.

As one trade official put it, more trade fairs means more sales, more business opportunities, and more jobs for Filipinos. Hopefully.

Who can blame some people who outright say, “China? No way!”? We have real issues to deal with — the West Philippine Sea and our sovereignty. These are not small matters we can just brush aside. Our national interest must always come first. This does not mean, however, that we should shut every door and refuse to engage.

We can stand our ground, protect what is ours, and still recognize opportunities when they come.

One thing about trade is you don’t need to be best friends to do business. You need something to sell. They need food; we have food. They have money; we need money. It is not complicated.

While some politicians and loudmouths keep babbling, our farmers in Davao are hoping to sell more durian, bananas, and mangoes. Our coconut farmers want more buyers, and our small businesses need more customers.

They’re not worried about online arguments or political drama. They’re too busy putting food on the table and making ends meet for their families.

This is also happening across ASEAN. Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia are all doing more trade with China. They still have their own security concerns, but they also know how to protect their interests and still sell their goods. We can do the same.

The Filipino businessmen who went to Nanning understood this. They did not go there to debate sea boundaries. They went there to find buyers, grow their businesses, and create jobs. And they succeeded.

Maybe it’s time we stopped seeing every handshake with China as selling out our country. Not every open door means we’re giving away the house. Sometimes, it’s simply opportunity knocking. Instead of getting lost in the noise, perhaps we should look at what’s actually being brought to the table — and what Filipinos stand to gain.

A P15-million government support program helped produce P3.79 billion in sales. That is a story worth telling — competence over chatter, and survival over drama.

At the end of the day, a farmer does not care about anyone’s hot take on China. He cares about whether his children get to eat. Right now, trade with China is helping him answer that question.

That should matter to all of us, too.