Mr. Chair, vice-chairs and members of the committee, I wish you a pleasant evening. Thank you for the very kind invitation extended to us.
When I was a young officer in the Philippines' foreign service, among my first assignments was attending the “managing potential conflicts in the South China Sea” workshop series, hosted by Indonesia and funded by CIDA. Early on in my career, I realized the important role played by Canada in the Indo-Pacific region.
This year, the Philippines and Canada are celebrating the 75th anniversary of our bilateral relations. Though there is much to celebrate, one cannot deny the fact that the geopolitical backdrop of our partnership is no longer the same. In her keynote address in Toronto seven months ago, Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly described in vivid terms the state of play on the world stage.
She said:
Our world is marked by geopolitical turbulence, unpredictability, and uncertainty. The tectonic plates of the world order are shifting beneath our feet. And the structures that are built upon them are fracturing.
As a country that experiences 150 earthquakes a year, the Philippines clearly understands the analogy. Indeed, the world is facing a watershed moment. In our region, recent patterns of aggression, militarization and emerging arms races threaten our lands of promise with an uncertain future.
Today, I wish to share with you seven realities we face in the Indo-Pacific that were articulated by President Marcos at the recent Shangri-La dialogue.
First, the dynamics of this region are such that its future is being shaped not by one or two powers but by many actors. Framing issues within the prism of power rivalries overlooks the actual situation on the ground and removes the agencies of middle powers, such as the Philippines and Canada.
Second, the strategic competition between China and the U.S. is permeating the evolving regional landscape. This rivalry is constraining the strategic choices of regional states. This contest is exacerbating flashpoints and has created new security dilemmas.
Third, we acknowledge the centrality of ASEAN in shaping the landscape of the Indo-Pacific region. It must hold its centre as the lead actor in the regional security architecture no matter how many minilaterals emerge. ASEAN has been—and, in the foreseeable future, will remain—the neutral ground where all the other powers of the world interact and engage regularly. The Philippines is slated to chair ASEAN in 2026.
Fourth, as geopolitics continue to permeate the global governance infrastructure, multilateralism must strive to facilitate global action in response to challenges such as public health emergencies, humanitarian crises and climate change. The Philippines has consistently endeavoured to make multilateralism more constructive, inclusive and equitable.
Fifth, the global commons will continue to be crucial to the security of all states in the region. Developing countries' access to the high seas and outer space as well as the peaceful uses of science and technologies are crucial to international development.
Sixth, climate change remains a deadly challenge for the region and the world. It is the first truly global threat.
Finally, advanced technologies may solve many of our old problems, but they are so powerful that they may also have the potential to disrupt our political and social orders.
These seven realities muddy the waters we have to navigate in our collective journey as a community of nations. It is in this light that we welcome Canada's Indo-Pacific strategy, which strongly demonstrates Canada's decision to be an active, engaged and reliable partner. When she visited Manila last year, Foreign Minister Joly conveyed to President Marcos that now is the time for ambition. In direct response, the President stated, “Then let's get to work.”
We have received our marching orders, and already we have seen very promising developments. In the first half of this year alone, the Philippines welcomed two senior Canadian ministers—the Minister of Agriculture and the Minister of International Development—and two members of Parliament.
Canada's Indo-Pacific agriculture and agri-food office was inaugurated in Manila in February to strengthen partnerships, advance technical co-operation and support Canadian exporters in finding new business opportunities.
Canadian cybersecurity experts also went to the Philippines, while a Philippine nuclear trade mission to Canada was organized in March.
Last month, our foreign minister, Secretary Enrique Manalo, came to Canada and met with four federal ministers and many members of the House in pursuit of a robust, responsive and mutually beneficial partnership.
The Philippines is among Canada's closest and longest-standing friends in the Indo-Pacific region, the oldest partner among all of the ASEAN countries. Because of the one million Canadians with Filipino heritage in Canada, we are not just friends, we are family. Though we are on opposite sides of the Pacific Ocean, we are both making consequential investments in building a rules-based regional architecture that will guarantee the peace and stability of our shared region.
We are committed to co-operating with Canada and other like-minded countries in ensuring that the Indo-Pacific remains an engine of global growth and a hub for human flourishing.
Thank you, Mr. Chair, ladies and gentlemen. Maraming salamat po.
