‘When we are investing in your country, of course, we need to be very concerned about your governance and your public health. We have put it under very serious consideration.’
TAIWAN Deputy Minister François Chihchung Wu shakes hands with DAILY TRIBUNE Online associate editor Jason Mago during his visit in Taipei last week.
Photograph courtesy of MOFA
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TAIPEI, Taiwan — Taiwan is taking Philippine governance and regulatory conditions seriously when considering investments, but its development agency said it has so far encountered no corruption in projects carried out with Philippine partners.
Taiwan Deputy Foreign Minister Amb. François Chihchung Wu told the DAILY TRIBUNE that governance is among the considerations for Taiwanese companies investing in the Philippines and other countries.
“When we are investing in your country, of course, we need to be very concerned about your governance and your public health. We have put it under very serious consideration,” Wu said.
Wu said most Taiwanese companies operating overseas are privately owned, with many starting as medium-sized enterprises before growing into major corporations such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) and Foxconn.
“What makes the Taiwanese economy specific is that we don’t have a huge state company. The big majority are all medium-sized companies, and sometimes they become very large, very huge, just like TSMC or Foxconn,” he said.
Wu said Taiwan can urge its companies to respect the laws and regulations of the countries where they invest.
“But if there is any kind of disagreement or damage to your country, we need representation in your country,” he said.
“You need to be here, and we need to have talks. And sometimes, if they cannot follow your regulations, then we can try to convince them or force them to respect the regulations in your country,” Wu added.
While Wu acknowledged governance as a consideration for private investors, Yu-Lin Huang, secretary general of the International Cooperation and Development Fund (TaiwanICDF), said corruption has not emerged as a problem in the agency’s existing cooperation with the Philippines.
Asked how TaiwanICDF addresses corruption concerns when implementing development projects in countries facing such issues, Huang said the agency had not encountered corruption problems with its Philippine partners.
“We have not encountered corruption issues,” Huang said.
“And our partners, they are very open, they are very efficient, cooperate through this kind of professionalism. So, the corruption issue has not been an issue,” he added.
Huang was asked whether Philippine partners had assured TaiwanICDF that its projects would be implemented properly.
“Not assured. In both parts, it is very smooth, very effective. I have not encountered any corruption issue, and I would like to show my respect… I can only say they are professional,” Huang said.
His comments come as TaiwanICDF expands its agricultural cooperation with the Philippines.
The agency’s Agriculture Technology Incubation and Resilience Development Project in the Philippines, running from 2026 to 2029, aims to establish an agricultural resilience industry-chain incubation platform and introduce Taiwanese agricultural technologies and services to Philippine businesses.
The project aims to mentor 30 Philippine enterprises toward sustainable operations and is being implemented by the Taiwan Technical Mission and the Philippine Department of Agriculture.
As of March 2026, TaiwanICDF said it had conducted farmer-business training, consulted local governments and academic institutions on possible regional incubation centers, and helped one Philippine company successfully bid for a government procurement project.
Taiwan’s comments come as the Philippines continues to face concerns over corruption and public-sector governance.
Transparency International’s 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index gave the Philippines a score of 32 out of 100, placing it 120th among 182 countries. The organization said the index measures perceived levels of public-sector corruption.
The World Bank has likewise identified governance concerns as a factor that has delayed public investments in the Philippines. Its December 2025 Philippines Economic Update called for stronger execution of public investments and structural reforms to improve competitiveness and the investment environment.
The World Bank has also highlighted the importance of stronger financial controls and transparency mechanisms in Philippine public investment management, noting that inefficiencies can increase corruption risks.
Against that backdrop, Huang’s assessment of TaiwanICDF’s Philippine projects offers a more positive picture at the project level.
TaiwanICDF has six completed or ongoing Philippines-related projects listed on its official portfolio, covering areas including agriculture, healthcare, livelihoods and emergency preparedness.
Its current agriculture project is the agency’s active flagship initiative in the country.
The agency’s agricultural project is designed not only to introduce Taiwanese technology but also to strengthen the production resilience and business-management capabilities of Philippine enterprises.
For Huang, the experience so far has been positive.
“I have not encountered any corruption issue,” he said. “I would like to show my respect… I can only say they are professional.”
Wu, meanwhile, stressed that Taiwanese companies operating in the Philippines must comply with local regulations and that disputes should be addressed through dialogue and representation.
