The Philippines and New Zealand have signed a defense cooperation agreement that will allow their armed forces to conduct joint training exercises in each other’s territories.
The State of Visiting Forces Agreement (SOVFA) was formalized on Wednesday at Malacañang Palace, with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. personally witnessing the ceremony. Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro represented the Philippines, while New Zealand Defense Minister Judith Collins signed on behalf of her country.
Marcos highlighted the urgency of strengthening defense ties amid rising global tensions. “These partnerships have become very important in the face of all that is happening, not only in our region,” he noted.
With this new pact, New Zealand becomes the fourth nation to have such an arrangement with the Philippines, following similar agreements with the United States, Australia, and Japan — the latter still awaiting ratification by the Philippine Congress.
Collins expressed confidence in the growing ties between the two countries, saying, “The relationship between the Philippines and New Zealand, I believe, is very strong.”
The Philippine government is also looking to establish comparable agreements with Canada and France to further broaden its international defense cooperation network.
