In a continuous effort to promote city diplomacy, Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che traveled to the Philippines for the first time since taking office and visited Tainan’s sister province, Aklan Province, on January 16. The Mayor also signed the MOU To Strengthen Sister City Relations with Tainan’s first Philippine sister city - Cavite City.
Governor Jose Enrique M. Miraflores of Aklan Province visited Tainan last August (2025) and soon after the two sides officially established a sister-city relationship. Aklan Province also sent a delegation to set up a promotional booth at the Tainan International Travel Fair last November at the invitation of Mayor Huang. To show the city’s deep appreciation of Aklan’s strong support of major municipal events, Mayor Huang accepted Governor Miraflores’ invitation and made a return visit. This trip is significant as it is not only the Mayor’s first visit to Aklan Province since the sister-city relationship was finalized, but also his first trip to the Philippines since becoming mayor.
The Tainan delegation’s visit coincided with the Ati-Atihan Festival, the Province’s most well-known festival, and the delegation took part in the Higante Contest Parade held on Jan. 15 afternoon. Impressed by the carnival-like atmosphere, Mayor Huang extended a special invitation to Governor Miraflores, welcoming Aklan Province to participate in the Nan Ying International Folklore Festival in Tainan this October and to share Aklan’s unique and rich folk culture with Tainan’s citizens.
Governor Miraflores welcomed Mayor Huang’s delegation together with his provincial government officials and SP Jupiter Aelred G. Gallenero. The Governor expressed that last year’s Tainan International Travel Fair marked a very good start for future collaborations between Aklan and Tainan, and that he looks forward to bringing more operators from the local travel sector to Tainan for this year’s Travel Fair to further strengthen partnerships in tourism, education, and business. Miraflores also noted that Aklan Province is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year with a series of festivities and hopes that Mayor Huang will visit again.
Mayor Huang also met with Benzen Raleigh Grepo Rusit, Deputy Mayor of Cavite City. After signing the MOU To Strengthen Sister City Relations between the two cities on behalf of Tainan, Huang remarked that the signing of this MOU symbolizes a new milestone and will strengthen the friendship between Tainan and Cavite City, Tainan’s first sister city in the Philippines. He added that Tainan City will continue to carry out city diplomacy to expand substantive cooperation with all of its Philippine sister cities.
Deputy Mayor Rusit explained that he was attending on behalf of Mayor Denver Reyes Chua, who was on an official visit elsewhere. He expressed his delight at witnessing the signing of the MOU and said he looks forward to more exchanges and communication between the two cities.
During his stay in the Philippines, Mayor Huang also met with officials at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in the Philippines as well as local Taiwanese business representatives. He showcased several of Tainan’s signature agricultural products and discussed opportunities to expand Tainan’s brands in the Philippine market. He acknowledged the long-standing contributions of Taiwanese businesses in the Philippines in opening up markets for Taiwanese industries and expressed hope that these commercial ties will further deepen economic, trade, and urban exchanges between Tainan and the Philippines.