Taiwan donates 1,000 metric tons of rice for Philippine disaster relief

Manila, Jan. 5 (CNA) Taiwan's government donated 1,000 metric tons of rice to the Philippines for disaster relief on Thursday.

The donation was made through Taiwan's representative to the Philippines, Wallace Minn-Gan Chow (周民淦), and was received by Chairman and Resident Representative Silvestre III Hernando Bello of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office in Taiwan.

Chow told CNA that the Philippines was struck by several typhoons last year, which seriously compromised rice production in some provinces and led to a supply shortage.

"We are close neighbors and good partners, so this is what [Taiwan] should do to help," he said.

Chow said Taiwan has promised to donate a total of 2,000 metric tons of rice, of which the Thursday batch was the first, with another 1,000 tons set to be handed over to the Philippine government when an urgent need arises.

According to Taiwan's representative office in the Philippines, the donation will be distributed by the Philippines' Department of Social Welfare and Development and the Department of Agriculture to victims during disasters or emergencies via "pro-poor and relief operation programs."

Bello said at the event that Taiwan's rice donation will help to alleviate the suffering of those who are disadvantaged and vulnerable in the Philippines.

He thanked the Taiwanese people's goodwill and wished them a good year in 2024.

Bello added that Taiwan increasing the minimum wage from NT$26,400 (US$851) to NT$27,470 (US$885) this year has benefited 120,000 Filipino factory migrant workers and meant a lot to them.

As of the end of last November, there were a total of 123,267 Filipino factory workers in Taiwan, according to Taiwan's Ministry of Labor.