Insider Spotlight
“The Philippines is one of the most vibrant economies in the entire ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), with a very high economic growth rate, a young population and a huge domestic market. The historical ties between our two countries have also been very close,” Taiwan External Trade Development Council Chair James C. F. Huang said in an interview with Insider PH.
New technologies
Taiwan’s interest comes as semiconductor supply chains diversify geographically, potentially opening opportunities for the Philippines to move beyond its existing strengths in chip assembly, testing and packaging and build capabilities around emerging technologies, including neural processing units used for artificial intelligence (AI) workloads.
“We are very interested in working with Filipino companies in the area of new technology,” Huang said.
Green energy, smart cities
Taiwan Expo 2026, running from Sept. 17 to 19 at the SMX Convention Center Manila, brought 125 Taiwanese companies to the Philippines, showcasing technologies spanning AI, smart manufacturing, renewable energy, healthcare and agriculture.
The event is organized by Taiwan’s International Trade Administration under the Ministry of Economic Affairs and implemented by the Taiwan External Trade Development Council.
According to Huang, he expects this year’s expo in the Philippines to generate more than $100 million in business cooperation, reflecting growing commercial ties and interest in partnerships between Taiwanese and Philippine companies.
The expo features AI of things, AI visual recognition, collaborative robotics, industrial monitoring and other technologies.
Taiwanese energy companies are showcasing sodium-ion batteries, energy management systems, transformers and methanol-hydrogen generators.
It is also hosting the inaugural Taiwan-Japan-Philippines Industrial Cooperation Forum, which is exploring cooperation in areas including green energy and smart cities.
Growth areas beyond technology
Taiwanese companies are also exploring opportunities in healthcare, agriculture, food and consumer industries. The expo features medical devices, biotechnology and regenerative medicine.
Taiwan is also targeting growth in agritech, food and consumer goods, showcasing agricultural automation and food processing technologies while seeking Philippine partners for food, beauty, wellness and lifestyle products.
Talent incubation
Huang said building a semiconductor manufacturing ecosystem comparable with Taiwan’s would require sustained investment in skills, technology and industry collaboration.
“It took Taiwan more than 50 years to build our chip manufacturing ecosystem and capabilities. We did not achieve it overnight. We started with talent incubation and learned new technologies from the United States,” he said.
“It will take time, but the Philippines has a very good foundation. You have great talent, a highly educated population and English proficiency. You also already have a base for semiconductor packaging in the Philippines,” Huang added.
Larger physical footprint
Taiwanese manufacturers, Huang said, are also considering a larger physical footprint, with the Taiwan Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers’ Association actively studying an industrial park in the Philippines.
It also sees green technology as another major area for cooperation as the Philippines seeks more reliable electricity supplies while accommodating rising demand.
“The Philippines has an excellent environment for wind, solar and thermal energy development,” he said. —Vanessa Hidalgo | Ed: Corrie S. Narisma
