Taipei, TAIWAN. Before the 2022 Food Taipei international food show had started in Taiwan, two trucks of food roamed around major areas in Taipei giving away Filipino dishes to locals, introducing Filipino flavors to Taiwanese people.
The aim is to increase the importation of Filipino food products from the Philippines to Taiwan and to diversify the food offerings to the Taiwanese people.
The free food trucks were on a two-week tour of Taipei and had delivered free Filipino dishes such as pork sisig and pork adobo, along with San Miguel beer and mojitos on a first-come-first-served basis to the public.
Starting on June 8, the trucks visited SongShan Cultural and Creative Park, Eslite Xinyi Store on Songgao Road, POPOP Taipei, and Da’an District’s Longmen Square, offering 1,400 boxes of food to people in the said famous areas in Taipei.
After the road promotion, Philippine delegates continued the showcasing of Filipino dishes at the Food Taipei attracting the attention of importers.
“The courtship through food continues as the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) along with its Trade and Investment Center goes full speed to make the Philippines not only a top-of-mind travel destination but an abundant source of food products to whet anybody’s appetite,” a representative from the Philippine pavilion said during the food show.
Sauces and condiments, calamansi juice, canned tuna, and other healthy snacks and non-meat products are some of the featured Filipino foods from a dozen of companies in the Philippines in the annual Food Taipei show held at Nangang Exhibition Center.
In a matter of two days alone after the show has started, more than 50 Taiwanese importers have expressed willingness in purchasing products exhibited at the show, according to Anthony B. Rivera, director for Commercial Affairs at the Philippine Trade and Investment Center (PTIC) in an interview by CNA.
“Our focus this year is to highlight innovative food and beverage products that will match the trendy, young, healthy and vibrant lifestyle of the Taiwan market while at the same time continuing to offer mainstream products that already have a good following in the market,” Rivera said.
As of this year, Taiwan’s importation of food products from the Philippines includes processed food and beverages, desiccated coconut, coconut oil, processed tropical fruit, pineapples, pineapple products, mangoes, and seafood, such as fresh and preserved fish and shrimp.
In 2021 alone, food exports from the Philippines to Taiwan have increased by 11.05 percent which equates to US$49.63 million which is mainly attributed to an increase in seafood consumption such as crab, cuttlefish, squid, and fresh and frozen mollusks, according to Rivera.
“Taiwan is a significant trade partner for the Philippines,” he added. Total trade between the Philippines and Taiwan in 2021 was valued at US$8.2 billion, growing 21.8 percent year-on-year with a compound annual growth rate of 2.5 percent from 2016-2021, Rivera said.
Also according to Rivera, Taiwan was the Philippines’ eighth largest trading partner out of 225, the country’s eighth-largest export market out of 213, and its eighth-largest import supplier out of 205.
According to Taiwan’s Bureau of Foreign Trade, under the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Taiwan’s imports from the Philippines were US$2.99 billion in 2021, making it Taiwan’s 21st largest source of imports.
“We have so much to offer from the Philippines. Post pandemic we are now coming back at the Taipei International Food Show and are confident that the featured products this year will definitely be available in the mainstream Taiwan market soon,” said MECO Chairman and Resident Representative Wilfredo B. Fernandez.
Source: Focus Taiwan