Philippine Representative to Taiwan Angelito Tan Banayo on Thursday e-mailed Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) expressing his “deep regret” over remarks Han made about hiring Filipinos as English teachers, the Manila Economic and Cultural Office said yesterday.
In the e-mail, which was made public by the office, Banayo said it was with deep regret that he noted Han’s remarks in connection with his efforts to transform Kaohsiung into a bilingual city.
“Aside from the fact that the Philippines is the fourth-largest English-speaking country in the world, with at least 92 percent of the population able to speak English as a second language, we particularly take exception to your use of the term ‘Marias’ in reference to our citizens,” said Banayo, who is chairman of the office.
Photo: Wu Chun-feng, Taipei Times
“Maria” carries negative undertones in Taiwan when used to refer to foreign workers, Banayo said.
Han on Wednesday told a meeting of the Chinese National Association of Industry and Commerce in Taipei that he feared that hiring educated employees from the Philippines as English teachers “would cause a psychological shock for Taiwanese, as people might wonder: How has our Maria become a teacher?”
Han on Thursday said that his comments were not meant to discriminate against Filipinos, but rather to underline the need to mentally prepare parents if his city is to hire Filipinos as English teachers.
Banayo said in the letter that the Philippine government has strived to achieve the highest standards for its people who work overseas to provide for their families at home.
“It is incumbent upon us to uphold and protect their dignity, sacrifices and contributions to national development from impetuous and undeserved labeling,” he said.
Han in a statement yesterday issued an apology, saying that his statement was meant as a “joke” and to encourage Taiwanese to improve their language skills rather than looking outward for talent.
“However, Han Kuo-yu feels deeply sorry for causing misunderstanding and displeasure among the Philippine people,” the statement said.
He hopes to engage in more diversified cooperation with the Southeast Asian nation in the future, the statement said.
SILENCING CRITICS: In addition to blocking Taiwan, China aimed to prevent rights activists from speaking out against authoritarian states, a Cabinet department said The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday condemned transnational repression by Beijing after RightsCon, a major digital human rights conference scheduled to be held in Zambia this week, was abruptly canceled due to Chinese pressure over Taiwanese participation. This year’s RightsCon, the world’s largest conference discussing issues “at the intersection of human rights and technology,” was scheduled to take place from tomorrow to Friday in Lusaka, and expected to draw 2,600 in-person attendees from 150 countries, along with 1,100 online participants. However, organizers were forced to cancel the event due to behind-the-scenes pressure from China, the ministry said, expressing its “strongest condemnation”
Taiwan’s economy grew far faster than expected in the first quarter, as booming demand for artificial intelligence (AI) applications drove a surge in exports, spilling over into investment and consumption, the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS) said yesterday. GDP growth was 13.69 percent year-on-year during the January-to-March period, beating the DGBAS’ February forecast by 2.23 percentage points and marking the most robust growth in nearly four decades, DGBAS senior official Chiang Hsin-yi (江心怡) told a news conference in Taipei. The result was powered by exports, which remain the backbone of Taiwan’s economy, Chiang said. Outbound shipments jumped 51.12 percent year-on-year to
DELAYED BUT DETERMINED: The president’s visit highlights Taiwan’s right to international engagement amid regional pressure from China President Willaim Lai (賴清德) yesterday arrived in Eswatini, more than a week after his planned visit to Taiwan’s sole African ally was suspended because of revoked overflight permits. “The visit, originally scheduled for April 22, was postponed due to unforeseen external factors,” Lai wrote on social media. “After several days of careful arrangements by our diplomatic and national security teams, we successfully arrived today.” Lai said he looked forward to further deepening Taiwan-Eswatini relations through closer cooperation in the economy, agriculture, culture and education, as well as advancing the nation’s international partnerships. The president was initially scheduled to arrive in time to celebrate
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp (IRGC) yesterday said the US faced a choice between an “impossible” military operation or a “bad deal” with Tehran, after US President Donald Trump disparaged Iran’s latest peace proposal. Negotiations between the two countries have been deadlocked since a ceasefire came into effect on April 8, with only one round of direct peace talks held so far. Iran’s Tasnim and Fars news agencies reported that Tehran had submitted a 14-point proposal to mediator Pakistan, but Trump was quick to cast doubt on it. “I will soon be reviewing the plan that Iran has just sent to us, but
RSS