Duterte Stands Firm with the Travel Ban even as Taiwan plans countermeasures

President Rodrigo Duterte did not accept Taiwan’s appeal to lift the ban on Taiwanese who wants to visit the country. Duterte explained that his primary focus is on the safety of his people.

According to Taiwan, the country is thinking of other measures if the Philippines does not lift the ban. According to the Philippine President, the travel ban will not cease until the ‘danger persists.’



Taiwan is not governed by China. However, Beijing claims that the island is part of the country.

The World Health Organization (WHO) points the virus’s concentration in China. This had led to some countries in the world, imposing the same rules imposed for Chinese to Taiwan citizens.

There is a minimum of 154,000 Filipino citizens who reside and work in Taiwan. The majority of their population are employed as factory workers and household helpers.



The decision of the Philippines to include Taiwan in the travel ban, not based on the ‘One China’ policy.

Joanne Ou, the spokesperson of the Foreign Ministry, stated that Taiwan has a plan if the Philippines continues its travel ban. However, she did not elaborate on the details of that plan. She also shared that the travel ban had already affected the relationship between both countries.

The Philippines and Taiwan have good economic and cultural relationships. However, there are no diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Taiwan because it only recognizes Beijing’s government and not Taipei’s.

Taiwan had also expressed their complaints to the WHO. Comparing the 60,000 Novel Coronavirus cases of China to the 18 cases in Taiwan, it is unfair for Taiwan to be tied to the records of the epidemic of mainland China.