Fifty-four firefighters from the Philippines completed a nine-day emergency medical and rescue training program in Taiwan on June 29, capping an exchange that officials on both sides described as a milestone for regional disaster cooperation.
The graduation ceremony took place at Taiwan's Central Emergency Operation Center in Taipei. The trainees, all members of the Philippines' Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), spent nine days studying Tactical Emergency Casualty Care (TECC), emergency medical response, disaster management, and fire and rescue operations under the 2026 JTP Train-the-Trainer Program.
The program was organized jointly by Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), the Office of Trade Negotiations under the Executive Yuan, the National Fire Agency (NFA), and the Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation (TAEF), a think tank that runs several of Taiwan's professional exchange initiatives with Southeast Asian partners. Instruction combined classroom lessons with scenario-based drills and hands-on exercises meant to let firefighters immediately apply what they learned.
A Course Built To Train The Trainers
Unlike a standard skills workshop, the program was designed around a "train-the-trainer" model, meaning graduates are expected to return home and teach the techniques to colleagues within the BFP. That structure is intended to multiply the program's reach well beyond the 54 firefighters who attended this session.
Deputy Minister of the Interior Ma Shih-Yuan, who represented Taiwan's government at the ceremony, linked the exchange to Taiwan's own disaster history. He recalled the international aid Taiwan received after the 1999 Chi-Chi earthquake, including assistance from the Philippines, and said that experience shaped Taiwan's commitment to sharing its own disaster-response expertise with regional partners.
National Fire Agency Director-General Hsiao Huan-Chang told attendees the training reflected both the practical results of Taiwan-Philippines cooperation and what he called the enduring friendship and mutual trust between the two sides. He said he hoped for continued joint training and institutional cooperation between the two fire services.
Officials Frame The Exchange As Bridge-Building
Several officials used the ceremony to emphasize the diplomatic weight of a program that, on its surface, is about firefighting technique. Trade Representative Huang Chien-Chang of the Executive Yuan's Office of Trade Negotiations said the exchange had built a cross-border cooperation network that lays groundwork for safer, more resilient societies in both countries.
Tsai Jen-Chun, a senior official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Department of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, said the program demonstrated Taiwan's commitment to working with what he called like-minded partners on disaster preparedness and public safety.
Irene Joan Tan, chairperson and resident representative of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) — the body that manages relations between Taipei and Manila in the absence of formal diplomatic ties — thanked the Taiwanese organizers and said the sea separating Taiwan and the Philippines should function as a bridge rather than a barrier between the two peoples.
The Philippine delegation was led by CSUPT Honee Fritz N. Abangan-Diel, regional director of the BFP's CARAGA regional office, and CSUPT Aristotle B. Banaga, the BFP's director for plans and standards, who attended on behalf of BFP Director Kwan Tiu. Abangan-Diel thanked Taiwan for providing a training platform that let Philippine firefighters build technical expertise and lasting professional relationships.
Disaster Cooperation As A Recurring Theme
TAEF Executive Director Alan H. Yang closed out the remarks by framing the exercise in broader terms, telling attendees that disasters do not respect borders and that sustained international cooperation is the only way to improve regional resilience over time. He thanked the partner organizations involved and said he expected the professional networks built during the training to support further Taiwan-Philippines cooperation on firefighting and emergency response.
The ceremony ended with Ma and Hsiao presenting completion certificates to all 54 participants, followed by a gift exchange and group photo.
Taiwan does not maintain formal diplomatic relations with the Philippines, as Manila recognizes Beijing under a one-China policy. Programs like the TECC exchange, run through agencies such as TAEF and coordinated with MECO, are among the primary channels through which Taipei and Manila maintain working-level cooperation on shared regional concerns, including disaster response in a part of the world regularly hit by typhoons and earthquakes.
