PHL-Canada partnership may boost tech ties

By Erika Mae P. Sinaking, Reporter

TECHNOLOGY, critical minerals and security cooperation are expected to drive the Philippines’ strategic partnership with Canada, analysts said, after the two countries elevated bilateral ties during President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s official visit to Vancouver.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Mr. Marcos on Thursday announced the elevation of bilateral relations to a strategic partnership, placing Canada alongside Japan, Australia, Vietnam, South Korea and India among Manila’s closest regional partners.

“My internal take on the level up of the relations is with regard to tech and security matters,” Jose Mario D. De Vega, an international relations instructor at Philippine Normal University, told BusinessWorld via Facebook Messenger.

He said the partnership builds on longstanding ties, including Canada’s large Filipino community, but is increasingly driven by efforts to secure technology supply chains and boost regional security.

He said the Philippines’ strategic location makes it an important partner for countries seeking to safeguard critical trade routes and diversify supply chains for rare earth minerals and advanced technologies.

Mr. De Vega pointed to the planned Golden Node Economic Security Zone in Clark, Pampanga province in northern Philippines and the 2024 defense cooperation memorandum between Manila and Ottawa as signs of deeper collaboration in economic security.

Francis M. Esteban, a faculty member at the Far Eastern University Department of International Studies, said the stronger relationship reflects shared support for a rules-based international order.

“The Philippines and Canada continue to have close and deep relations,” he said in a Messenger chat. “Strategically, we have to understand also that Canada and the Philippines are both interested in maintaining a rules-based order.”

The diplomatic upgrade was accompanied by investment commitments.

Mr. Marcos said business engagements during the visit generated $2.5 billion (P154 billion) in planned Canadian investments covering mining, critical minerals, energy, services and information technology-business process management.

“All these business engagements… resulted in a combined $2.5 billion in investment from Canadian partners,” he said during a livestreamed media briefing from Vancouver on Sunday, Manila time.

He said the Philippines is positioning itself as a trusted investment destination for companies seeking to diversify their operations in the Indo-Pacific region.

Among the companies involved in the discussions were Canadian mining firms B2Gold Corp. and OceanaGold Corp., as well as technology companies TELUS Corp. and Nordia Quantrics Experience.

Mr. Marcos also said Canada committed an initial C$2 million (P87 million) to support the Luzon Economic Corridor through investments in infrastructure, supply chains and clean energy.

The two governments also signed a joint declaration of intent on energy and natural resource cooperation to expand collaboration in critical minerals and support the global energy transition.

Mr. Esteban said the partnership’s long-term success depends on how both governments define their objectives.

He added that political developments after the 2028 Philippine elections could influence whether future administrations maintain the country’s present foreign policy direction.