Parallel challenges, shared opportunities: Reflections from the Philippines and Taiwan

I was in Taiwan last week as a visiting fellow of its Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This trip allowed me to engage with officials, academics and industry leaders about a range of issues affecting both our countries. I also met with the Mainland Affairs Council. 

I also had the good fortune to engage with leading think tanks, academic institutions, even top industry players in semiconductors and renewable energy. Among them were the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, Doublethink Lab, Research Institute for Democracy, Society and Emerging Technology, Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research, Prospect Foundation, Forward Alliance, Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation, and the National Chung Cheng University Institute of International Relations—as well as top industry players in semiconductors and renewable energy, such as United Microelectronics Corporation and Tron Energy Technology.

Our conversations highlighted that our two countries, despite their differences in size and circumstance, face parallel challenges and share common opportunities. The affinity presents itself in numerous ways.

The geographical proximity between Taiwan and the Philippines makes it undeniable that our situations would intersect in more ways than one.

For example, developments in the Taiwan Strait and the West Philippine Sea show that we are facing common threats to our economy, democracy and regional stability.

While stability in these waters determines security, freedom of navigation and the livelihoods of our people, the situation reminds us that peace and respect for the rule of law has not come automatically. They require constant vigilance and collective commitment to democratic values.

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Today, technology has opened new avenues for attacks. Political interference and disinformation have provided new opportunities for other countries to manipulate and distort public opinion and undermine processes, institutions, and democracy itself. Both Taiwan and the Philippines are on the frontlines of coordinated foreign influence operations. 

For its part, Taiwan has long been a target of cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns designed to weaken its democracy. For the Philippines, this threat is becoming more visible. A recent Senate inquiry revealed evidence of China-funded troll farm operations in the Philippines, allegedly organized to spread disinformation and influence public opinion.

The House of Representatives convened a hearing to investigate vloggers and bloggers accused of promoting pro-China narratives, particularly those undermining the Philippines’ position in the West Philippine Sea.

Disinformation is not merely a political nuisance but a national security issue. It erodes public trust, interferes in elections, and compromises sovereignty. I laud Cagayan de Oro Representative Rufus Rodriguez for filing House Bill 3799 that if passed will imprison fake news peddlers. Our country needs this because of the rampant disinformation in the media. 

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Aside from these evolving and intensifying security concerns, the Philippines and Taiwan are also deepening their economic cooperation. This ensures economic benefits for their citizens and helps the individual economies build resilience against coercion and external shocks.

Consider this: Over 150,000 overseas Filipino workers live and work in Taiwan, contributing both to Taiwan’s economy and to the livelihoods of their families here back home. Taiwan is the Philippines’ eighth largest export market, ninth largest trading partner, and tenth largest source of imports.

The Marcos administration has also taken concrete steps to strengthen these ties and maximize these opportunities.

In April this year, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed Memorandum Circular 82, which relaxed long-standing restrictions on official travel to Taiwan, first imposed under Executive Order 313 in 1989. This policy shift reflects a pragmatic recognition of Taiwan’s growing role in the Philippines’ economic and development agenda, especially in priority sectors.

The Board of Investments has earlier identified semiconductors and renewable energy as key growth sectors. 

Taiwanese investors have shown increasing interest in investing. Specifically, the Luzon Economic Corridor (LEC) initiative, launched in partnership with the United States and Japan, is also attracting Taiwanese companies looking to expand into this strategic infrastructure initiative.

Taiwan’s Representative to the Philippines Wallace Minn-gan Chow noted, “The Philippines is becoming a key partner for Taiwan—not only for leisure travel but also in trade, education, and cultural exchange.”

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The current situation—is unacceptable. Incidents like ramming, sideswiping, water cannon attacks and blockades not only damage our vessels and environment but also endanger lives.

Our fisherfolk are harassed and bullied out of our own waters by China. Left unchallenged, these actions endanger our people, weaken our institutions, and undermine the livelihoods of those who depend on secure and stable waters.

We may file one protest after another, but China chooses to ignore appeals to decency and sense of justice. Worse, their aggressive acts are no longer confined to physical intimidation at sea.

China is now engaged in a widespread campaign to shape perceptions among Filipinos and the global community, promoting narratives that are unfounded and misleading.

The Philippines cannot and should not accept this status quo. It is unjust, harmful, and increasingly dangerous—not just to our national interest, but to the daily lives of our people.

Every act of aggression, every lie disguised as diplomacy, chips away at our sovereignty and security. We have a duty to resist—not with provocation, but with clarity, peaceful resolve, and a firm commitment to protect what is ours.

For the Philippines, Taiwan serves as a reminder that democracy, freedom, and the rule of law must be actively defended. 

The close connection between the Philippines and Taiwan illustrates our shared stakes and our common destiny.

As the geopolitical and geoeconomic landscape grows more complex, and as countries like China become bolder and more unabashed in its acts of aggression, it is essential for like-minded countries to forge closer ties and maintain an unwavering stand.

Thus, we will deepen economic ties, promote democratic values, and uphold international law. Against the odds, and even as we face formidable challenges, we can assert our rights and chart a future that will bring prosperity and stability to our people.

Rupert Paul Manhit is the COO and managing director of think tank Stratbase Group. He is the executive director of Philippine Trade Foundation (Phils Inc.)