Overview
- Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and Canadian Defence Minister David McGuinty signed the Status of Visiting Forces Agreement in Manila on Nov. 2.
- The agreement allows the Canadian Armed Forces and the Armed Forces of the Philippines to train and operate together through joint and multinational exercises in each other’s territories.
- Canada’s first visiting‑forces deal in the Indo‑Pacific deepens its regional engagement with an emphasis on interoperability and maritime security.
- The pact builds on a 2024 defence cooperation memorandum and earlier access to Canada’s Dark Vessel Detection System, which the Philippines has used to track Chinese vessels.
- The Philippines already has similar arrangements with the United States, Australia, Japan and New Zealand, and is pursuing talks with France, Singapore, the United Kingdom, Germany and India.