Negotiations between the Philippines and Canada for the Status of Visiting Forces Agreement (SOVFA) have been completed.
According to the Department of National Defense (DND), the agreement is set to be signed soon.
This is part of an initiative by Philippine Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro to accelerate negotiations with countries such as Canada, France, and New Zealand, as it is essential to strengthen the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) alongside the military forces of other nations.
“The Philippines looks forward to the positive impact of the SOVFA, which is expected to contribute to peace, stability, and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region. The DND remains committed to working closely with international partners to safeguard national interests and strengthen security efforts in the region,” according to the agency.
The leading figures in finalizing the negotiations were Philippine DND Undersecretary Angelito M. De Leon and Canada’s DND Assistant Deputy Minister Scott Millar.
It is known that the Philippines only has Visiting Forces Agreements (VFAs) with the United States and Australia. Meanwhile, Japan has a reciprocal access agreement, which the Philippines signed last year.
Before the formal signing of the agreement with the Canadian delegation, Canada was already actively involved in joint drills in the West Philippine Sea with the United States, Australia, and Japan.
These maritime activities aim to demonstrate the freedom of navigation and overflight rights in the West Philippine Sea, an area claimed by China through its so-called “nine-dash line” boundary.
