The martial law years, however, forced the group to terminate its fledgling operations. Towards the end of 1985, when opposition to the Marcos dictatorship was reaching its climax, former members of Pagkakaisa and some alumni of Chinese schools began talking again of the need for a group such as Pagkakaisa. The Philippine economy was in crisis, and some sectors made convenient scapegoats out of the Chinese, blaming them for the poverty of Filipinos. Anti-Chinese sentiments were on the rise, and there was no organization to serve as a bridge between the Filipinos at large and the ethnic Chinese community. Existing organizations in the Chinese community were too inward­looking.

Kaisa Para Sa Kaunlaran was launched on 27 August 1987, the very day that the government of President Corazon Aquino suffered its bloodiest coup attempt. The day´s events were a chilling reminder that the Chinese had a role to play in building up the newly-restored democracy of the Philippines.

Over a period of twenty years, the organization has lived up to its name, first, by showing evidence that the Tsinoys are "kaisa" or united with fellow Filipinos even as they celebrate their unique cultural heritage; and second, by carrying out concrete projects for the "kaunlaran" or progress of the Philippines.

Kaisa identifies itself as a "bridge of understanding." As such it has carried out a formidable range of educational and cultural activities. Among these are the publication of more than fifty books on the Chinese in the Philippines, crowned in 2005 by the full­color coffee table book, Tsinoy, The Story of the Chinese in Philippine Life; the production of Tulay, a fortnightly newspaper, and Yonghap, its Chinese­language counterpart; the production of Pinpin from 1990­1994, the first and only bilingual children´s television show in Philippine media; various seminars, workshops, conferences, and research projects on the ethnic Chinese; and finally, the monument to its bridge-building efforts, the Kaisa Heritage Center in Intramuros, which houses Bahay Tsinoy, a museum of the Chinese in Philippine life, the Chinben See memorial library, with a research center, photo archive, and rare book collection attached to it. Bahay Tsinoy reconstructs Chinese­Filipino life from pre­Spanish trade, to the Parian days under Spain, to the struggle for Philippine freedom and nationhood alongside Filipinos, and finally to the impact of the Tsinoys in contemporary life and society.

Kaisa would be praiseworthy even if its activities were limited to the cultural and educational sphere. They have not only helped Filipinos and Chinese understand each other better, but in the process, also helped Filipinos and Chinese understand themselves better. One cannot look at the Other without pondering the Self and the commonality that exists between the two.

But Kaisa has not limited itself to the fields of culture and education. On numerous occasions, Kaisa has spoken out on behalf of the Tsinoy community, earning both praise and criticism. It is a testament to Kaisa­s influence that it has become de facto the voice for the Chinese­Filipino community because no other organization possesses their degree of credibility.

This representative role was most perceptible in the anti­crime efforts that peaked in the 1990s. Teresita Ang­See (herself an Ateneo Public Service Awardee) became the icon for the Tsinoys´ struggle against victimization as kidnap victims. Together with other Kaisa members, she stood up and attacked the lack of political will on the part of the government to solve the problem of kidnapping. The community made history in 1993 when 30,000 people turned the funeral of Charlene Sy, a young kidnap victim, into a protest rally. Tsinoy businesses in Banawe Avenue and Binondo closed shop for the day.

The group also spearheaded the formation of two non­government organizations to fight crime: Movement for the Restoration of Peace and Order (MRPO), and Citizens Action Against Crime (CAAC).

More recently, Kaisa has collaborated with Gawad Kalinga to build communities for the poor in Baseco, Tondo; Trece Martires, Cavite; Bamban, Tarlac; and Escalante, Negros.

Today, Kaisa remains young by insisting that leadership in the organization be placed in the hands of members in their 30s and 40s. This younger generation of leaders continues the mission of the Kaisa pioneers to participate in nation­building from the distinct perspective of the Tsinoys, Filipinos who may look and sound Chinese, but whose hearts and homes are in the Philippines.

For asserting the place and unique contribution of the Chinese in the Philippines; for serving as a bridge between the Filipino and Chinese communities through a multitude of cultural and educational projects; and for tapping the boundless energies of Chinese­Filipino youth for the task of nation-building, the Ateneo de Manila University confers with great pride the Parangal Lingkod Sambayanan to Kaisa Para sa Kaunlaran, Inc.