THE Philippines and Canada on Friday called for stronger cooperation on economic security and emerging technologies, emphasizing the importance of the ongoing free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations to strengthen bilateral relations.
In his keynote address at a conference organized by the Stratbase Institute and the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, Canadian Ambassador to the Philippines David Hartman highlighted that concluding the FTA would be a significant milestone, marking the Philippines’ first such agreement with a North American country.
“Modern trade agreements are far more than just reducing tariffs. They create stable and predictable frameworks that help economies diversify supply chains [and] strengthen investment confidence,” Hartman said.
“In a time of global uncertainty, these qualities are essential,” he added.
The ambassador noted that both countries have set an ambitious timeline for concluding the negotiations.
Stratbase Institute president Victor Andres Manhit emphasized the need for resilience, saying it requires cooperation among like-minded partners such as Canada.
He called for strategic engagement that looks beyond immediate political timelines to foster long-term investments and create jobs.
“The challenge is: how do we protect ourselves from these geopolitical and asymmetric challenges? We have our friends. We have to track who our friends are, who we trust,” Manhit said.
Earlier this month, the Canadian envoy underscored efforts to enhance the flow of commercial exchanges between the two countries, noting the significant potential yet to be explored between the Philippines and Canada.
In December 2024, both countries announced exploratory discussions regarding a potential bilateral FTA.
