PH, Canada sign visiting forces deal

Metro Manila, Philippines - The Philippines and Canada on Sunday, Nov. 2, signed a key defense agreement to expand military cooperation, aiming to preserve the rules-based international order in the Indo-Pacific region.

Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro and Canadian defense minister David McGuinty signed the Status of the Visiting Forces Agreement (SOVFA), allowing the deployment of troops on each other’s territory and joint drills.

The talks for the SOFVA concluded in March this year. 

“It is a milestone for Canada and it is an honor for the Philippines to be the first partner of Canada in this endeavor and together we will be strong for the greater good of Indo-Pacific,” Teodoro said.

In 2024, the Philippines and Canada signed a memorandum of understanding on defense cooperation for a deeper collaboration between their military forces.

“The agreement we signed today builds on that very progress but also reflects a deeper truth: That peace is built on rules, not recklessness, and that stability grows from cooperation, not confrontation,” McGuinty said.

McGuinty said Canada shares the Philippines’ dedication in upholding international law and seeking peaceful resolution of disputes toward regional peace and security.

The signing of the SOVFA between the Philippines and Canada was just days after the announcement of the Task Force Philippines, a military initiative between the Philippines and the United States.

The task force, which was said will deter aggression in areas such as the South China Sea, was formed under Manila and Washington’s mutual defense treaty.

Asked if Canada would be open to deepening defense ties for a similar initiative, McGuinty said the notion of having a task force was a “positive one.”

“We see that increasingly it’s about strategic partnerships like this, where two like-minded nations stick to the same values can go forward and support each other, and share and learn from each other,” he said.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will have to ratify the defense pact with Canada and must be concurred by the Senate.

The Philippines has a VFA with the United States, Australia, and New Zealand, and a Reciprocal Access Agreement with Japan.