Celebrating 75 years of Canada-Philippines kinship

On tomorrow’s auspicious Canada Day, as we mark the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Canada and the Philippines, it is with great pride that we reflect on the enduring partnership that binds our two countries.

Our journey together was born out of common purpose. Both our countries were founding members of the United Nations (UN) and worked together to build institutions and laws that today govern our world. Both countries are long-standing and storied democracies, both having made important contributions to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and definitions of the fundamental freedoms that underpin our societies.

Since the establishment of formal diplomatic ties in 1949, Canada and the Philippines have worked side by side in our common quest to build a stable, secure world that offers opportunity and prosperity for future generations. Our cooperation continues today, in our collaborative efforts to uphold a rules-based international order, to promote trade and investment, to reinforce and protect democratic institutions, to combat climate change and to advocate for human rights.

Our journey continues, enriched by the deep people-to-people ties between our societies. More than one million people in Canada claim Filipino heritage – a cultural identity that has become an essential component of Canada’s multicultural fabric.

These deep ties have ensured that the Philippines holds a special place in Canada’s approach to the Indo-Pacific. Since announcing our Indo-Pacific Strategy in November 2022, our partnership has expanded rapidly:

We have deepened our political dialogue. Over the last two years, our leaders have met three times, and ministers and secretaries have made more than a dozen visits back and forth between our two countries, including most recently the visit of Foreign Affairs Secretary Manalo to Canada in May. The level and frequency of such engagement are testament to the value our governments see in the relationship.

On the international stage, Canada has been a steadfast partner to the Philippines in upholding and defending international law in the South China Sea, as we have worked collaboratively at the UN and the WTO, as well as at ASEAN, to tackle common challenges. Canada has also worked with its G7 partners to focus attention on the challenges facing the Philippines – work that we will carry forward as host of the next G7 Leaders Summit in 2025.

Early this year, our two countries concluded a memorandum of understanding on defence cooperation. Since then, our respective armed forces have been building their cooperation, participating side by side in exercises and enhancing their inter-operability. Early this month, a warship of the Royal Canadian Navy participated in a cooperative maritime activity in Philippine waters, alongside vessels from the Philippines, Japan and the United States. A Canadian ship will also participate in exercise SAMA SAMA in the next few months.

Our two countries are also working hard to conclude a Status of Visiting Forces Agreement.

Last year we introduced new measures to facilitate travel between our two countries through the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA). Since this mechanism was introduced, more than 175,000 applications have been processed, creating new opportunities for Filipinos to visit Canada for business, tourism, education and to visit family.

Canada chose the Philippines as the host country for its Indo-Pacific Agriculture and Agri-food Office, which we officially opened in February – a step that creates new commercial opportunities on both sides of the Pacific, including those to strengthen food security.

Through our development cooperation, we are helping to implement the peace agreement in the BARMM, open new opportunities for Philippine farmers, improve disaster resilience and combat the effects of climate change.

We have also established new lines of cooperation in cyber security and cyber defense, the battle against malign influence and economic coercion, the use of space technologies and satellite systems and the fight against illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing.

Our partnership is ever more comprehensive in its scope and strategic in its character, and I am excited by what lies ahead:

Our two governments are currently following up on the Prime Minister Trudeau’s invitation for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to visit Canada later this year – to seize on the momentum in the relationship, articulate our shared ambitions for the future and set out a path to achieve them.

We are also working together to increase prospects for our business communities and build a more prosperous and inclusive Indo-Pacific. To that end, there will be an integrated Team Canada Trade Mission to the Philippines in December – bringing hundreds of representatives from Canadian companies, business associations and government, to build connections to enhance two-way trade and investment for Canadians and Filipinos.

From my vantage point, the future of Canada-Philippines relations is bright and promising. Guided by shared values, including our commitments to democracy, transparency, the rule of law, inclusivity and respect for human rights, we are well positioned to navigate the complexities of a rapidly changing world. By seizing the potential in this partnership, we can resolve common challenges and advance our shared goals.

On this Canada Day, let us together continue to nurture and strengthen the bonds of kinship that unite us. Let us build a future where Canadians and Filipinos stand together as partners, friends and family, ready to face whatever challenges lie ahead.

Together, we can write the next chapter of our enduring kinship – a story of friendship, resilience and shared achievements that inspire generations to come.

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David Hartman is Canada’s Ambassador to the Philippines.