President Ma Ying-jeou on the afternoon of February 12 at the Presidential Office met with Philippines Department of Trade and Industry Secretary Peter Favila. The president, on behalf of the government and people of the ROC (Taiwan), welcomed Secretary Favila to Taiwan and expressed his appreciation to him for leading a delegation to attend the Taiwan-Philippines Ministerial Level Economic Cooperation Conference.
The president said that this economic cooperation conference with the Philippines is the first held since he assumed office. It is also the first time so far during his presidency that a high-level official from the Philippines has come to Taiwan, he said. President Ma made mention that Taiwan and the Philippines are geographically near to each other. Even more opportunities will exist in the future for closer cooperation in trade and investment, he said. The president also expressed his desire to see opportunities for Taiwan to participate in the development of an ASEAN free trade zone.
President Ma said Taiwan and the Philippines in 2002 began discussing an agreement to avoid double taxation, adding he hopes this pact can be signed as soon as possible. Of the over 350,000 foreign laborers presently working in Taiwan, about 75,000 come from the Philippines. The president said he is confident that Taiwan could make a contribution if it was able to participate in ASEAN-related labor consultations. The president noted that since entering APEC, Taiwan in recent years has assisted many APEC members in setting up APEC Digital Opportunity Centers. This initiative has been quite successful and he hopes that Taiwan and the Philippines can continue to cooperate in this regard. Under the program, related persons and experts from Taiwan go to the Philippines to set up the centers, providing bilateral cooperation in the area of information.
The president furthermore said Taiwan is the seventh largest investor in the Philippines. The Philippines could consider rental and other incentives to encourage Taiwan companies to invest in the country. President Ma believes that being able to strengthen the existing bilateral investment and trade relationship would create enormous benefits for the people of Taiwan and the Philippines.
Secretary Favila expressed his appreciation to related ministries and agencies for the warm reception provided to the delegation from the Philippines. Secretary Favila also expressed his best regards to President Ma on behalf of Philippines President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. In addition, Secretary Favila praised President Ma for the efforts he has made to improve relations between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, which he said will help to foster regional peace and stability.