By Minka Klaudia Tiangco
The Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) said on Tuesday that the Taiwan government took offense at the Philippines’ imposition of a temporary travel ban on tourists coming from Taiwan.
Manila Economic and Cultural Office
(MECO OFFICIAL FACEBOOK PAGE / MANILA BULLETIN) MECO Chairman Angelito Tan Banayo said the Taiwan government took issue with the travel ban, not because of the 2019-novel coronavirus scare, but because they were grouped with mainland China, and Hong Kong and Macau which are special administrative regions of China. "Ikinasama ng loob ng gobyerno ng Taiwan. Hindi dahil sa coronavirus kung hindi 'yung sinabing sila'y kaparte ng Tsina, na para silang Hong Kong o Macau (The Taiwan government was offended. Not because of the coronavirus but because they were told that they are part of China like Hong Kong and Macau)," he said in an interview with DZBB. This has been a point of contention between the two countries for several years now. China maintains the "One-China policy" which asserts that there should only be one sovereign state under the name of China. Taiwan argues that it is an independent state that does not belong to mainland China. Banayo expressed hope that the Taiwan travel ban will be lifted immediately, saying that the virus is being contained due to the country's efficient health care system. "Lahat ay naaasikaso ng magaling na health care system ng Taiwan (Everything is being handled by Taiwan's good health care system)," he said. "Wala ni isa pang namamatay, wala ni isang apektado ng sakit na ito (There has been not a single death due to the virus... no Filipino in Taiwan has been infected)," he added. On Monday, the Department of Health expanded its temporary travel ban to include Taiwan, along with China, Hong Kong, and Macau, leading to several cancelled flights. Read more: BI extends travel ban to include tourists from Taiwan
Manila Economic and Cultural Office(MECO OFFICIAL FACEBOOK PAGE / MANILA BULLETIN) MECO Chairman Angelito Tan Banayo said the Taiwan government took issue with the travel ban, not because of the 2019-novel coronavirus scare, but because they were grouped with mainland China, and Hong Kong and Macau which are special administrative regions of China. "Ikinasama ng loob ng gobyerno ng Taiwan. Hindi dahil sa coronavirus kung hindi 'yung sinabing sila'y kaparte ng Tsina, na para silang Hong Kong o Macau (The Taiwan government was offended. Not because of the coronavirus but because they were told that they are part of China like Hong Kong and Macau)," he said in an interview with DZBB. This has been a point of contention between the two countries for several years now. China maintains the "One-China policy" which asserts that there should only be one sovereign state under the name of China. Taiwan argues that it is an independent state that does not belong to mainland China. Banayo expressed hope that the Taiwan travel ban will be lifted immediately, saying that the virus is being contained due to the country's efficient health care system. "Lahat ay naaasikaso ng magaling na health care system ng Taiwan (Everything is being handled by Taiwan's good health care system)," he said. "Wala ni isa pang namamatay, wala ni isang apektado ng sakit na ito (There has been not a single death due to the virus... no Filipino in Taiwan has been infected)," he added. On Monday, the Department of Health expanded its temporary travel ban to include Taiwan, along with China, Hong Kong, and Macau, leading to several cancelled flights. Read more: BI extends travel ban to include tourists from Taiwan