President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) visited Chiayi, Tainan, and Hualien over the weekend and this Monday during the Mid-Autumn Festival to assess the progress of post-disaster reconstruction efforts following recent typhoon damage. 

Lai, whose birthday is Monday, had no official public schedule, but took to Facebook to thank the volunteers who took part in relief work, calling their dedication “truly admirable.” He noted that more than 100,000 people came to help during the three-day Teachers’ Day holiday, even including foreign nationals, which Lai said shows the world Taiwan’s solidarity and empathy in times of hardship.

Lai pledged continued government support for recovery and reconstruction in the affected areas.