“2026 Taiwan Day in Manila” opens at Level 2, Concourse, One Ayala in Makati City on August 22 and 23, offering free admission to the public throughout mall hours. Visitors can explore four immersive themed stations, join the draw for round-trip Manila–Taipei plane tickets, and enjoy a unique interactive experience inside the Human Claw Machine.
As the first flagship event of the Taiwan Tourism Administration’s 2026 promotional program in the Philippines, the event also launches the “Taiwan 100 Ways: Film Your Way” short video campaign, inviting Filipinos to rediscover Taiwan through their own lens whether by revisiting past travel memories, sharing personal travel experiences, or imagining their future Taiwan adventures.
The growing interest in Taiwan is reflected in the latest tourism figures. According to the Taiwan Tourism Administration, 400,827 Filipinos visited Taiwan between January and June 2026, surpassing the 400,000 mark and recording a significant 28% increase from the 312,821 arrivals during the same period last year. This further reinforces the Philippines’ position as Taiwan’s largest Southeast Asian tourism market.
To keep building the Philippine market and drive further growth in arrivals, the Tourism Administration has organized its 2026 promotions around the theme “Taiwan 100 Ways,” mapping out four travel themes based on what Filipino travelers look for, and asking four teams of Filipino influencers, each with followings in the millions, to travel the routes themselves.
Four creators, four themes unpacked
How much Filipino travelers like Taiwan is plain to see. Reading that demand, the Tourism Administration built four themed itineraries to suit the tastes of different groups of travelers. And because Filipinos lean heavily on social media when deciding where to go, it asked four well-known Filipino influencers and celebrities to walk those itineraries and show the breadth of what Taiwan offers.
Fashion and food tastemaker Laureen Uy-Cruz takes the food theme, Waves of Flavor, working her way across the Michelin and Bib Gourmand addresses of Taipei, Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung.
Travel expert duo The Poor Traveler handles the culture theme, Waves of Culture, with stops at Tamsui Old Street, Tang-wei-gou Hot Spring Park (Tangweigou) in Yilan, and the Fulong International Sand Sculpture Art Festival, Taiwan’s festivals and its old-street character in one route.
Household-name celebrity Kimpoy Feliciano takes on the vitality theme, Waves of Vitality, heading for Sun Moon Lake, the Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village and Guguan Hot Springs to try the full range of what Taiwan offers outdoors.
Former flight attendant Jen Barangan-David covers the half-day stopover theme, Waves of Stopover, showing how travelers can use a layover at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport to take in the Danjiang Bridge, Tamsui Old Street, Dihua Street in Dadaocheng, the National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, Ximending and Taipei 101.
Among the new attractions being spotlighted by the Tourism Administration is the Danjiang Bridge, an architectural landmark designed by renowned architect Zaha Hadid. Its flowing design takes inspiration from the movements of Cloud Gate Dance Theatre’s dancers, capturing a sense of motion and harmony that reflects Taiwan’s blend of innovation and artistry.
It is the world’s longest-span single-pylon asymmetric cable-stayed bridge, a world-class landmark that sets architectural beauty against magnificent views of the Tamsui River estuary. It looks like a different bridge by day, at sunset and at night, which lands squarely on Filipino travelers’ appetite for photographs. It has also improved transport connections across the area considerably and tied together the mountain and coastal scenery of the North Coast, giving it real pull with international visitors.
Inside the venue
2026 Taiwan Day in Manila is the opening flagship event of the Tourism Administration’s public relations program in the Philippines this year.
Visitors use a digital stamp card to work their way around the four themed zones: collecting three stamps entitles them to enter the draw for a round-trip Manila–Taipei plane tickets, and four stamps qualifies them for a turn in the Human Claw Machine to grab Taiwanese gifts by hand, exclusive to the Manila stop.
There is also a Taiwan Connection Station where visitors can step inside a dedicated phone booth and are encouraged to ring family or friends in Taiwan and turn a phone call into a bit of cross-border fun.
How to enter the Short Video Campaign
The “Taiwan 100 Ways: Film Your Way” campaign is open to all Filipinos. Whether they have visited Taiwan before or have yet to experience it, participants can create videos using real travel footage, creative edits, or even their dream Taiwan journey.
Participants can share their Taiwan stories through 30 to 60 second vertical videos in Reels or Shorts format. Submissions will be accepted from August 22, 2026 to January 15, 2027, and featured creators will be recognized during “Taiwan Day in Cebu” in March 2027.
Event Details:
Dates: Saturday, August 22 to Sunday, August 23, 2026
Hours: Open all day to the public, 10 a.m. until the exhibition closes at 9 p.m. daily
Venue: Level 2, Concourse, One Ayala, Makati City
Admission: Free
More details: Follow the Taiwan Tourism Administration’s official Facebook page, facebook.com/TaiwanTourismPH
