It is at the heart of the Taiwanese and Filipinos to stand together in the face of adversity.

Taiwan, through the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in the Philippines, donated $400,000 (P22.9 million) to the victims of tropical storm "Paeng" (international name Nalgae).

TECO Representative Peiyung Hsu handed the said donation to Manila Economic and Cultural Office Representative Silvestre Bello III in a ceremony held 11 November.

"We, the Taiwanese, have always admired the Filipinos' resilience and bravery," Hsu said.

As a true ally and neighbor, Taiwan wants to participate in the spirit of bayanihan to ensure that no one is left behind, he added.

Hsu expresses Taiwan's sincere condolences and sympathies to the victims and their families affected by the calamity.

According to the latest NDRRMC Situational Report, "Paeng" affected nearly 1.4 million families and left 159 people dead. More than 53,000 houses were damaged. Infrastructure destruction and agriculture loss are estimated to be at P11 billion.

The new contribution to the post-disaster recovery and rehabilitation efforts of the country demonstrates that "Taiwan can help and Taiwan is helping."

"Taiwan will always be there to lend a helping hand. Moreover, facing the challenges brought by climate change, Taiwan will continue to further strengthen the cooperation on disaster prevention and climate resilience with the Philippines," Hsu said.

The Philippines is one of Taiwan's key development partners. Around 150,000 overseas Filipino workers and new immigrants are living in Taiwan.