(Speech during the Unveiling Ceremony of the Taiwan Technical Mission Demonstration Farm in Tarlac City on 15 December 2023)

On behalf of the Government of the Republic of China (Taiwan), I am really honored and delighted to welcome you to attend this unveiling ceremony of the Taiwan Technical Mission Demonstration Farm in Tarlac City.

For a big project like this, it takes numerous people's relentless efforts to make it a reality. I would like to take this opportunity to express our deep appreciation to the partners of the Department of Agriculture, MECO (Manila Economic and Cultural Office) Chairman Bello and former Chairman Wilfredo Fernandez, Governor Susan Yap of Tarlac Province, Mayor Maria Angeles of Tarlac City, and many others who are dedicated to this initiative. I would also like to thank those of you who have traveled long distances from outside Tarlac to join us here today. Thank you very much.

I wish to further express our sincerest gratitude to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Taiwan and TaiwanICDF for their unwavering support in establishing the Taiwan Technical Mission in the Philippines, also known as TTM. The TTM in the Philippines is the third of its kind in Southeast Asian countries, following Indonesia and Thailand, under Taiwan's New Southbound Policy. It marks a significant milestone in the enhancement of bilateral cooperation between Taiwan and the Philippines.

As we all know, food security has become a global concern amidst the worldwide pressures of inflation stemming from the Covid-19 pandemic, continued war between Russia and Ukraine, and accelerating climate change. Therefore, as the closest neighbor of the Philippines, Taiwan has realized the importance of developing a strategic partnership between our two countries on food production and safety.

We remember the first State of the Nation Address of His Excellency President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in July 2022. As the then-DA chief, he identified the significance of modernized technology in increasing agricultural production for Filipino farmers. In addition, the latest report from the World Bank also showed that transforming Philippine agriculture into a dynamic, high-growth sector is critical for the country to speed up recovery, poverty alleviation, and inclusive growth.

In line with this, we launched the Filipino Young Farmers Internship Program in Taiwan in collaboration with MECO and DA. To date, a total of 126 young farmers have been sent to Taiwan to learn about modern agriculture and fisheries technologies such as value chain management, cooperative management, and enhancement of skills, discipline, and values. Two new batches of 150 young farmers are expected to join in 2024.