Amidst Macao’s record heat, a family’s Sunday ritual reveals how kapwa—the shared self—turns migrants into chosen kin. From church gardens to beach barbecues, Filipinos forge resilience through community, food, and faith, with a legacy remixed by youth.
Commentary by Rafelle Marie Timog Allego
August 13, 2025
Amidst one of the hottest summer Macao has faced in recent memory, a woman with her son and elderly mother are strolling through Our Lady of Carmel Church’s adjacent garden, with the woman occasionally posing her son and mother next to ornamental shrubs and plots of vibrantly coloured flowers of all shapes and sizes. Visiting from the Philippines, they were treasuring every moment they had together, and that included Sunday Mass together.
Nestled in Old Taipa Village, this church is a gathering point for a portion of Macao’s Filipino community every Sunday. Of course, there were other nationalities attending the English-language Mass, but the majority were Filipinos. The mixture of Tagalog, Bisaya, Ilocano and many other Filipino languages fill the air, while members of the church choir warmed up before Mass. Different groups crowded together as they caught up after a week’s worth of work, whether they were in hospitality, domestic work, or anything else in between. A scenic spot directly above the colourful Old Taipa Houses, the church was also celebrating its 140th year.
While not all Filipinos are churchgoers in Macao, we are a people that will get together to celebrate even the smallest joys in life. Filipinos make up about 17 per cent of the city’s non-resident workers-second only to mainland Chinese - and many say we are resilient people. Yet that’s because circumstances force us to be, and these weekend gatherings serve as many people’s reprieve from their working lives and a reenergising mechanism for another week, all in line with the kapwa theory.
In short, the Filipino word kapwa is the recognised concept of shared inner self and identity, and of treating each other equally regardless of whoever they may be or wherever they’re from. Because of this, no matter where Filipinos may go, they embody this idea and in standing firm together. When faced with challenges, they feel that they are less difficult because of the community backup. While no community is without its complexities- we cannot refute the idea that this can also cause issues and some toxicity, possibly over-reliance and crab mentality-but let’s focus on the good here.
Kapwa shows up during days-off, whether as barbecue gatherings at Hac Sa Beach, with pre-marinated meats in containers and other foods that can be enjoyed together, or sitting past dusk in Senado Square over San Mig, Red Horse, or other choice beverages. Possibly even as simple as being part of a church choir. These are all the manifestations of the need to be close to the home they’ve left behind, for mutual support that eases migrant life.
At the core of these gatherings, food always features prominently. This may explain why the Filipino restaurant DC Cafe and bakery Anak Philippine Bread - both on Macao’s “Pinoy Street” (Rua da Alfândega) - endure, alongside newly established Mano Bakery with its spin on Filipino bread, all appreciated by Filipinos and other residents alike. For instance, the restaurant is a place that has introduced many to the Filipino boodle fight* and the practice of pagkamay (“bare-handed dining; kinamot in Visayan), which is a callback to traditional communal feasts and still a manifestation of kapwa.
Like any group who’ve left their country, this leads to third-culture Filipino kids growing up with these traditions. Living between cultures, these often-multilingual children seamlessly switch between English, Filipino, Cantonese, Mandarin, and languages like Bisaya or Ilonggo, bringing their own take by blending Chinese and Filipino ideals.
Today, many of these third-culture Filipino kids have grown up and are thriving with Macao’s opportunities. From film and photography to fashion and sports, they are all paving their own paths.
This is Macao’s living heritage - unseen yet breathing in the code-switching of third-culture kids, where strangers turned chosen family, anchored by a word that no dictionary translates right. As the woman’s son and mother enter Carmo Church, I feel a sense of gratitude towards this city that has welcomed our people, no matter how short or long our stay might be. Filipinos also have a place in this city.
*Boodle fight is a Filipino communal dining tradition where food is laid out on banana leaves and eaten with bare hands, emphasising camaraderie and equality. – DeepSeek
