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 prospect 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 boxer, the 37-year-old Filipino received professional mixed martial 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.

Jerson Palaci Estoro poses for photos [Photo: China Plus]

"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 ethics.

"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 boxers 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.

Luz Lopez poses for photo. [Photo provided to China Plus]

"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 harmonious 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 provincial capital Changsha.

"Then I decided 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 helping promote communications between the two sides.

Luz Lopez (L, 2nd) poses for photo with her family members in China. [Photo provided to China Plus]

"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.