MANILA. Canada and the Philippines are in the final stages of negotiations on a defense pact that would enable expanded joint military exercises, Canadian Ambassador to Manila David Hartman announced. The agreement, once finalized, is expected to deepen military cooperation between the two nations amid growing regional tensions, particularly concerning China’s activities in the South China Sea.
Speaking aboard the HMCS Ottawa, a Royal Canadian Navy Halifax-class frigate docked in Manila for a port visit, Hartman emphasized Canada’s commitment to supporting the rule of law and regional security.
“We are in the final stages of the negotiations of our status of forces visiting agreement that will enable us to have even more substantive participation in joint and multilateral training exercises and operations with the Philippines and allies here in the region,” Hartman said on Friday night before an audience of Philippine national security officials, foreign ambassadors, and defense attachés. He added that the HMCS Ottawa would be participating in a joint exercise off the Philippines next week.
The Philippine military has intensified multinational patrols and drills in the South China Sea alongside forces from the United States, Japan, France, Australia, and Canada. These activities have drawn strong opposition from Beijing, which claims nearly the entire South China Sea as its territory and has deployed coast guard and naval vessels to assert control over disputed waters.
China’s expansive claims overlap with those of the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan. Territorial confrontations between China and the Philippines have escalated over the past two years. In August 2023, Canada joined the U.S., Australia, and the Philippines in air and naval exercises aimed at ensuring freedom of navigation in the South China Sea. In response, China conducted air and sea combat patrols on the same day. While no direct clashes were reported, the Philippine military confirmed that three Chinese navy ships shadowed the four-nation maneuvers off the western coast of the Philippines.
“We have been vocal in confronting the provocative and unlawful actions of the People’s Republic of China in the South China Sea and the West Philippine Sea,” Hartman stated. “We will continue to do so.”
Canada and the Philippines have been deepening their defense cooperation over the past year. In 2023, both countries signed an agreement in Ottawa granting the Philippines access to data from Canada’s “Dark Vessel Detection System,” which uses satellite technology to track vessels attempting to evade detection by switching off their location-transmitting devices.
The Philippine Coast Guard has frequently accused Chinese coast guard ships and fishing vessels of employing this tactic to avoid surveillance in the South China Sea.
Currently, the Philippines has visiting forces agreements (VFAs) with only the United States and Australia, which provide a legal framework for the temporary deployment of foreign troops and large-scale military exercises. A similar agreement with Japan was signed in July 2023 and is pending ratification by the Japanese legislature.
In addition to the negotiations with Canada, the Philippines is in separate discussions with France and New Zealand over potential defense pacts, as part of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s broader strategy to strengthen the country’s security ties with like-minded nations in the face of an increasingly assertive China.
With final negotiations underway, the anticipated Canada-Philippines defense agreement is expected to enhance both nations’ military readiness and strategic cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.
Gary P Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
- Gary P Hernalhttps://tutubi.ph/author/gary-hernal/
- Gary P Hernalhttps://tutubi.ph/author/gary-hernal/
- Gary P Hernalhttps://tutubi.ph/author/gary-hernal/
- Gary P Hernalhttps://tutubi.ph/author/gary-hernal/
