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Pia Lee-Brago - The Philippine Star
May 19, 2026 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — Canada has expressed interest in investing in the Philippine defense industry following the recent signing of the Philippines-Canada Status of Visiting Forces Agreement (SOVFA), the Department of National Defense (DND) said yesterday.
The development was discussed during a meeting between Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and Canadian Minister of International Trade Maninder Sidhu on May 13 at Camp Aguinaldo, where both officials tackled regional security developments and opportunities to expand defense trade and industrial cooperation to address shared challenges.
During the meeting, Teodoro highlighted the strategic significance of establishing a defense trade partnership with Canada, noting that Canada’s expertise complements the Philippines’ modernization goals.
The defense chief also expressed optimism over broader collaboration with Canada following the signing of the SOVFA, which is expected to further strengthen security and defense ties between the two countries.
Sidhu, for his part, reaffirmed Canada’s commitment to supporting the Philippines’ defense priorities and conveyed Ottawa’s interest in investing in the Philippine defense industry across cyber, air, land and maritime domains.
He also underscored Canada’s role in securing defense supply chains amid global geopolitical changes.
According to the DND, the meeting focused on strengthening the defense trade relationship between the Philippines and Canada and highlighted the longstanding security partnership between the two countries.
The DND noted that bilateral defense cooperation has continued through government-to-government engagements since 2013, following the signing of the 2012 Memorandum of Understanding Relative to Government-to-Government Transactions in Defense and Military-Related Equipment, Materials, Systems and/or Services between the DND and the Canadian Commercial Corporation.
Under the agreement, the Philippines acquired eight Bell 412EP helicopters from Canada.
Both sides also discussed advancing bilateral cooperation further, including the possible integration of Canadian technology into Philippine defense systems to enhance interoperability and defense capabilities.
