In Manila, Philippines, a mother advises her son to only take small portions of the saffron-hued zarda at the Khalsa Diwan Temple buffet. The gathering of Metro Manila Sikh community members to celebrate the Parkash Utsav of Guru Granth Sahib includes a community kitchen providing rotis and other traditional dishes.
The Khalsa Diwan Temple, founded in 1929, marked the beginning of the Sikh community in the Philippines. Punjabi migrants, the majority of the Indian diaspora population in the Philippines, began to move into the country in the 1920s and transitioned from farming to small-scale businesses before transitioning to moneylending during World War II.
The moneylending community has thrived in the Philippines, despite operating largely on the fringes of the law. Moneylenders have become an integral part of the country’s informal economy. Amid this, the gurdwara functions as an anchor for the Sikh community and offers free meals in the community kitchen.
Vikram Seetak, the head of the temple’s kitchen, has been working there since 1999 and emphasizes the importance of vegetarian cuisine, in line with Sikh practices. The gurdwara serves a mix of North and South Indian cuisine, and the popularity of Indian food among Filipinos has been growing. Some within the Indian community in the Philippines have begun to incorporate Filipino dishes into their meals.
Despite the integration of some aspects of Filipino culture into the Indian community, Indian migrants have faced suspicion and discrimination. President Rodrigo Duterte’s recent call for the arrest of “Bumbay” moneylenders led to a shift in attitude and a decline in fear of the moneylenders. However, the moneylending community continues to operate in the Philippines without permits.
Overall, the Indian community in the Philippines continues to slowly assimilate into the broader Filipino culture, with growing acceptance of Indian cuisine and an increasing incorporation of Filipino dishes into their meals.