The strategic partnership marks 75 years of diplomatic ties (established in 1949), further strengthened by India’s Look East (1992) and Act East (2014) Policies.
Key Highlights of the Visit
- Agreements signed on Mutual Legal Assistance, Transfer of Sentenced Persons, and cooperation in Science, Space, and Tourism among others.
- India announced to support a pilot project for the Philippines’ Sovereign Data Cloud Infrastructure.
- The Philippines invited to join the Information Fusion Centre–Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR).
Key Dimensions of India-Philippines relation
- Defence Cooperation: Philippines is the first foreign buyer of BrahMos Missile. First Track-1 Maritime Dialogue held in Manila in 2024.
- Economic Engagement: Bilateral trade reached $3.5 billion in 2023–24, supported by the ASEAN–India Free Trade Agreement, with ongoing talks for a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA).
- Capacity Building: Philippines is one of the major beneficiaries of Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC).
- People-to-People Ties: Cultural Exchange Programme renewed for 2019–2023. Indian diaspora of over 70,000 lives in Philippines.
Significance of India- Philippines’ Deepening Strategic Relations
- Shared Indo-Pacific Vision: Both countries support a free, open, rules-based region, with the Philippines playing a key role in India's MAHASAGAR Vision.
- Countering China’s Assertiveness: The 2016 arbitration ruling affirmed Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in South China Sea and rejected China’s “historic rights” under UNCLOS.
- Strategic ties with India offer the Philippines a credible balancing partner.
- Reshaping multilateral institutions: Both countries seek reforms in global governance to address 21st-century challenges like climate change, technology, and inequality.
As Indian Prime Minister says, “India and the Philippines are friends by choice and partners by destiny. From the Indian Ocean to the Pacific, they are united by shared values."
