The Philippines and Canada on Sunday formally signed the Status of Visiting Forces Agreement (SOVFA), marking a milestone in their 75-year partnership and strengthening defense cooperation.

“Today is a great day for both of our nations. It’s a day that we declare our commitment to deepening our defence cooperation, a commitment to build on the productive and beneficial partnership that we already enjoy, a partnership that stretches back 75 years,” Canadian Defense Minister David McGuinty said in a joint press briefing in Makati City.

He said the SOVFA reflects “deeper truth, that peace is built on rules, not recklessness, and that stability grows from cooperation, not confrontation.”

The Philippines’ Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. described the agreement as “a projection of trust and confidence” that will allow both nations’ armed forces and defense establishments to work together, bilaterally and with other like-minded partners, to preserve peace, deter instability, and ensure a secure future for generations to come.

McGuinty recalled that when the Philippines and Canada first established relations after World War II ended in 1945, they were trying to find their footing in a “world that had been convulsed, frankly shocked by war.”

Canadians and Filipinos fought side by side during the Korean War in 1950-1953, with a shared mission of defending peace and protecting freedom.

“That spirit of solidarity continues today,” McGuinty said, noting that since the launch of Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy in 2022, “we’ve strengthened our forward presence across the region, on land, at sea and in the air.”

The enhanced presence allowed Canadian forces to take part in more multinational exercises, including the Philippines’ Exercise “Sama-Sama” (Together), and build even closer ties with its partners, McGuinty said.

Canada, he added, has committed to maintaining three naval ships in the Indo-Pacific each year, representing over 300 days at sea and 80 days in partner ports last year alone.

The Royal Canadian Navy has made nine port visits to the Philippines in the past three years, bringing more than 2,250 sailors and air crew to local shores.

McGuinty said each visit has strengthened friendships and deepened trust, aside from boosting interoperability with its allies in the Indo-Pacific Region.

“Then last year, we signed a Defence Cooperation Memorandum of Understanding, a milestone that laid the foundation for deeper collaboration between our militaries,” he said.

McGuinty lauded the Philippines for its “true leadership in upholding international law and seeking peaceful resolution of disputes.”

“And for that, you have Canada’s greatest and deepest respect. We are proud to deepen our partnership with a country that courageously acts on those values, not just in words, but through your dedicated work toward regional peace and security,” he said.

Teodoro said the agreement is a result of extensive discussions between President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, as well as close coordination among the Philippines’ Department of National Defense and Department of Foreign Affairs, and Canada’s Ministry of Defence and Ambassador David Hartman.

“Our staff worked double time to finish this agreement in record time,” Teodoro said.

He underscored that the partnership between Filipinos and Canadians, both at the people-to-people level and in institutional cooperation, will help the two countries respond to current and future challenges, including cybersecurity, disaster response and economic resilience.

“From economic development to cyber security to humanitarian assistance and disaster response, disaster risk reduction and resilience, Canada and the Philippines share a lot of common interests,” Teodoro said.

“However, underpinning this SOVFA is the foundation on which it is built. It is to preserve the international order as a rules-based international order, respecting the sovereignty and dignity of not only states, but also of its people as human beings with the rights and the freedoms that they enjoy,” he added.

Formal negotiations for the Philippine-Canada SOVFA started on Jan. 16 and concluded on March 7.

Aside from Canada, the Philippines has SOVFAs with the United States, Australia, Japan and New Zealand. Talks are underway with France. (PNA)