外交部田次長出席菲律賓126週年國慶慶祝酒會致詞稿

外交部田次長出席菲律賓126週年國慶慶祝酒會致詞稿

• Data Source：Department of East Asian and Pacific Affairs
• Date：2024-06-14

2024年6月14日

(As prepared for delivery)

Ladies and gentlemen:

Good evening!

各位女士先生：

大家晚安！

It is an honor to attend tonight's reception celebrating the 126th Independence Day of the Republic of the Philippines. On behalf of Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung, I extend my heartfelt congratulations to the people and government of the Philippines on this auspicious occasion.

今晚很榮幸受邀參加菲律賓獨立126週年國慶慶祝酒會，本人謹代表外交部林佳龍部長向菲國人民及政府表達誠摯祝福。

Taiwan and the Philippines are long-standing friends and partners. We can trace our history back to common Austronesian roots. Indeed, the language used by the Yami people on Taiwan's Orchid Island is similar to the language used on the Batanes Islands in the Philippines.

台灣和菲律賓是歷久彌新的夥伴及朋友。我們共享南島語族文化根源迄今，據說蘭嶼的達悟族語與菲國巴丹群島的語言極為相似。

Since the launch of the New Southbound Policy in 2016, Taiwan-Philippine ties have continued to deepen. In recent years, bilateral people-to-people exchanges have steadily increased, making our nations closer than ever. The number of direct weekly flights between our two countries has reached 254 so far this year-twice that of 2023. In the first two months of 2024 alone, over 44,000 Taiwanese traveled to the Philippines, making Taiwan its seventh-largest source of foreign tourists. During that same period, some 73,000 Filipinos visited Taiwan. And the Ministry of Foreign Affairs just announced a one-year extension of visa-free entry for Philippine nationals. We hope that the Philippines will reciprocate by offering more favorable visa treatment to Taiwanese citizens. Cebu, Palawan, Coron, and Boracay are all well-known destinations for Taiwanese travelers and divers. I believe that all Taiwanese friends present tonight hope to travel to the Philippines visa-free in the near future!

自我國2016年起推動新南向政策以來，台菲關係持續深化，民間交流亦日益頻繁，雙邊互動熱絡。台菲直航班機每週達254班，較去年成長超出一倍。2024年頭兩個月，已有逾4萬4,000名台灣旅客訪問菲律賓，使台灣成為菲律賓第七大國際旅客來源地；同時間，也約有7萬3,000名菲律賓旅客訪台。我國外交部已於上週宣佈，將延長菲律賓國民來台觀光免簽證待遇至明年7月底，期待菲國也提供我國旅客更便捷的簽證措施，共創繁榮。宿霧、巴拉望、科隆及長灘島十分受到台灣旅客及潛水愛好者歡迎。我相信今晚所有在場的台灣朋友們都相當期待在不久的將來能說走就走，買張機票、不須簽證就能到訪菲律賓！

In 2023, Taiwan was the Philippines' eighth-largest export market, its ninth-largest trading partner, and its 10th-largest source of imports. Last year, Taiwan was also the ninth-largest source of direct investment in the Philippines. In the first quarter of this year, Taiwanese investment in the Philippines stood at 23.6 million US dollars, a five-fold increase on the same period last year. Moreover, the Philippines is the third-largest source of migrant workers in Taiwan. Filipino workers contribute greatly to the economic prosperity of both our countries, and Taiwan warmly welcomes them.

去年，台灣是菲律賓第8大出口市場、第9大貿易夥伴及第10大進口來源；同時，台灣也是菲國第9大外資直接投資來源地；今年第一季台灣對菲律賓投資，更是較去年同期成長超過五倍。作為台灣第三大外籍移工來源國，菲律賓在台移工對台菲經濟繁榮貢獻良多。台灣身為地主國，也將持續確保這些移工在台有友善宜居之生活環境。

I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere appreciation to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for his warm congratulations following Taiwan's presidential election in January, as well as for his compassionate message after the Hualien earthquake on April 3. Taiwan and the Philippines are both prone to natural disasters. For this reason, we are always among the first to help each other in times of need. This February, Taiwan donated 200,000 US dollars to assist the victims of floods and landslides in Davao. We also collaborate with the Philippine Bureau of Fire Protection to train firefighters for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions.

本人也想藉這個機會再次對菲國總統小馬可仕對今年之初我國成功舉行總統大選及我國4月3日花蓮震災傳來暖心訊息表達感謝。台灣跟菲律賓面對天然災害的挑戰，永遠第一個向彼此伸出援手、共同度過難關。本年2月台灣援助20萬美元賑濟納卯（Davao）地區水災及土石流災民。另外台灣也持續與菲律賓消防總署合作訓練菲國消防人員應對人道救援及災防任務。

Taiwan and the Philippines are facing unprecedented threats from authoritarian expansionism. As partners that share the values of freedom and democracy, our two nations must stand together to safeguard peace and stability in the region. To echo PBBM's historical speech in Singapore's Shangri-La Dialogue this year, "peace, security and stability are the business of all countries", Taiwan will continue to serve as a longstanding and trustworthy partner of the Philippines to contribute to the order and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region. Through joint efforts, I am confident that in the years ahead Taiwan and the Philippines will continue to strengthen mutually beneficial relations for the well-being of both our peoples and the Indo-Pacific region as a whole.

台灣及菲律賓正在面對前所未有的區域威權擴張威脅。台菲作為共享自由民主價值之夥伴，現在正是站在一起保衛區域和平穩定的時刻。如同小馬可仕總統在新加坡舉辦之香格里拉對話歷史性的演講所提到「和平、安全及穩定關乎所有國家」，台灣將持續做為菲律賓可信賴及堅韌的夥伴，共同為印太地區的秩序及繁榮做出貢獻。本人堅信，台灣與菲律賓將持續透過共同興趣深化雙邊關係，共同確立兩國未來的繁榮。

In closing, I would like to propose a toast: to the continued prosperity of the Philippines, to the ever-closer friendship between our two countries, and to the health and happiness of tonight's guests. Cheers!

最後，我想邀請在場貴賓與我一同舉杯，祝福菲國國運昌隆、兩國友誼更上層樓，以及今晚所有在場貴賓健康愉快。謝謝！