The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday welcomed the nomination of former Philippine Cabinet secretary Silvestre Bello III as the new head of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO), the country’s de facto embassy in Taiwan.
The nomination of Bello, a 78-year-old lawyer who served as secretary of labor and employment in 2016 under former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte, was made by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr on Thursday last week.
The official nomination was expected to be announced after Marcos Jr’s inauguration yesterday, MOFA deputy spokesperson Tsuei Ching-lin (崔靜麟) said.
Photo: Screen grab from Facebook
Asked about the incoming MECO head, Michael Hsu (徐佩勇), head of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in the Philippines, said that Bello had close relations with the country’s executive branch, and extensive experience in politics and public service.
As secretary of labor, Bello visited Taiwan in 2019 for a round of labor meetings, he added.
About 150,000 Philippine migrant workers live in Taiwan, making the country the third-largest source of migrant workers to the nation, followed by Indonesia and Vietnam.
“Bello’s nomination is a perfect choice for MECO chair,” Hsu said, adding that he is looking forward to working closely with Bello to enhance bilateral ties.
“I believe he is the MECO chair with the highest public profile, having previously served as a department secretary,” Hsu said, adding that the previous highest-level MECO chairs were deputy ministers or deputy secretaries.
Bello would be replacing incumbent Wilfredo Fernandez.
Bello has been in politics since 1986, when he was appointed governor of Isabela province from April 1986 to February 1988.
He later held several Cabinet positions, including as secretary of justice from July 1991 to February 1992 under then-Philippine president Corazon Aquino; and then again as acting justice secretary under former president Fidel Ramos from February 1998 to June 1998.
From 2004 until 2010, he was Cabinet secretary under then-Philippine president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
The New Taipei City Government would assist relatives of those killed or injured in last month’s car-ramming incident in Sansia District (三峽) to secure compensation, Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) said yesterday, two days after the driver died in a hospital. “The city government will do its best to help the relatives of the car crash incident seek compensation,” Hou said. The mayor also said that the city’s Legal Affairs, Education and Social Welfare departments have established a joint mechanism to “provide coordinated assistance” to victims and their families. Three people were killed and 12 injured when a car plowed into schoolchildren and their
RSS