FORMER Presidential Communications Secretary Cheloy Garafil will formally take the helm of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) in Taiwan, today, Monday.

MECO is the country’s representative office in the self-governing island functioning as a de facto embassy in the absence of formal diplomatic relations between Manila and Taipei due to the country’s One China policy.

The MECO Board will hold a meeting today to act on President Marcos Jr.’s nomination of Garafil to the post.

Garafil replaces former Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, who served as MECO chairperson from June 30, 2022 to September 5, 2024.

Former radio broadcaster Cesar Chavez has been appointed by Marcos to replace Garafil as PCO chief.

The Filipino community in Taiwan was full of praise for Bello in his two-year stint as MECO chair.

“It is now easier to coordinate with MECO. We have experienced the easy, fast, and organized services of the office,” the Filipino Community Association in Central Taiwan said.

There are around 200,000 Filipinos living and working in Taiwan.