Taiwan’s Overseas Community Affairs Council brought its AI and smart energy expertise to Manila recently through its “Economic and Trade Forum Tour,” organized in partnership with the Taiwan Association Inc. Philippines.

The program featured Vivian Huang, International Cooperation Strategy Officer at Taiwan’s Institute for Information Industry, a leading force behind Taiwan’s digital transformation and smart-city innovation.

The Manila leg combined a keynote seminar with hands-on corporate visits, aiming to help Filipino-based Taiwanese enterprises strengthen ESG readiness, accelerate digital and net-zero transformation, and connect with Taiwan’s rapidly advancing technology sectors.

On 15 November, Vivian Huang delivered a keynote presentation titled “Digital Transformation and Smart Energy,” drawing nearly 50 business leaders from Metro Manila. 

She highlighted Taiwan’s cutting-edge applications in AI-enabled manufacturing, workforce automation, customer service, food processing, power management, and smart-city governance.

Her examples included Kaohsiung City’s use of AI to manage large-scale event crowds and optimize traffic and business activity, showing how smart technology can directly improve urban efficiency and economic performance.

TAP president Tom Lin thanked OCAC and Vivian Huang for bringing Taiwan’s latest technological insights to Manila, noting that the seminar “provides timely and practical guidance for enterprises facing rapid industry changes.”

Taiwan’s Representative to the Philippines, Ambassador Wallace M.G. Chow, emphasized that smart energy, digital transformation, and AI-powered governance are now global priorities. He added that Taiwan’s achievements in renewable energy, digital innovation, and smart cities make it an ideal partner for enterprises seeking new models for competitiveness and sustainable growth.

As part of the program, TAP and Culture Center of T.E.C.O. in the Philippines led visits to two Taiwan-founded enterprises in the Philippines: Kou Fu Color Printing Corporation in Cavite and Ersao Taiwanese Restaurant in Quezon City. 

Vivian Huang recommended digital process monitoring, energy-saving strategies, automation for high-cost production steps, and the adoption of AI-based tools for inventory, workforce, and operations management. Both companies expressed strong interest in applying Taiwan’s technology insights to enhance productivity and resilience.

OCAC’s Manila seminar marked the final stop of Vivian Huang’s regional mission, following earlier visits to Vietnam and Thailand. The initiative strengthened Taiwan–Philippines industrial linkages and opened new opportunities for AI-driven collaboration, reaffirming Taiwan’s commitment to supporting overseas enterprises on their digital and smart-energy transformation journey.