Canada, Philippines sign defense cooperation agreement
Canada and the Philippines have signed a Status of Visiting Forces Agreement, SOVFA, building on the Defense Cooperation Memorandum of Understanding signed in January 2024.
Canadian Defense Minister David McGuinty and the Philippine Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro signed the agreement on Sunday in Manila.
McGuinty described the seal of SOVFA as “a significant milestone in the enduring partnership between our two nations, built on more than 75 years of diplomatic ties.”
The Philippines is one of Canada’s most important defense partners in the Indo-Pacific region, and the pact marks a new chapter for both nations.
The new collaboration will allow their armed forces to work more closely through participation in joint and multinational operations and exercises in each other’s territories.
Ottawa notes that as a democratic nation, the Philippines plays a key role in promoting peace and stability in Southeast Asia and upholding respect for international law.
The government says its partnership with Manila will further strengthen Canada’s defense and security cooperation with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN, and its members.
The SOVFA is the fifth of its kind for the Philippines, following the signing of similar deals with the United States (1998), Australia (2007), Japan (2024), and New Zealand (April 2025).