DND hails Senate OK of defense pact with Canada, New Zealand

(L-R) Canadian Minister of National Defence David McGuinty and Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto C. Teodoro Jr. sign a Status of Visiting Forces Agreement (SOVFA) in Makati City on Nov. 2, 2025 to deepen their security ties in pursuit of peace, stability, and national resilience. (Photo: DND)

The Department of National Defense (DND) on Wednesday, Aug. 12, welcomed the Senate’s approval of agreements that will set the rules for military personnel from Canada and New Zealand joining exercises, training and disaster response activities in the Philippines.

The DND said Senate Resolutions No. 548 and No. 549 expressed the chamber’s concurrence in the ratification of the Status of Visiting Forces Agreements (SOVFAs) with Canada and New Zealand.

“The Senate’s unanimous concurrence is a testament to the significance of these agreements, which will substantially enhance our interoperability, joint training, and practical cooperation between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and our Canadian and New Zealand counterparts,” DND spokesperson Asst. Sec. Arsenio Andolong said.

The Senate unanimously approved the SOVFAs with Canada and New Zealand on Aug. 11 in a 19-0 vote, with no objections or abstentions.

The agreements govern the entry, departure, and legal status of visiting forces during joint exercises, training operations, and humanitarian assistance and disaster response missions.

To recall, DND Secretary Gilberto C. Teodoro Jr. and Canadian Minister of National Defense David McGuinty signed the SOVFA between Manila and Ottawa on Nov. 2, 2025 in Makati City.

The agreement, which established a legal framework for military training, defense cooperation and interoperability between the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Canadian Armed Forces.

The DND said the pact also made the Philippines Canada’s first SOVFA partner in the Indo-Pacific region.

“Canada and New Zealand have been reliable partners in upholding the rules-based international order, cognizant of the shared security challenges that demand regional and extra-regional action,” Andolong said.

“Likewise, we expect these agreements to contribute to community resilience, including humanitarian assistance and disaster response,” he added.

Meanwhile, the SOVFA with New Zealand was signed in Manila on April 30, 2025 by Teodoro and then-New Zealand Defense Minister Judith Collins, setting the terms for military training, joint exercises and civilian-military humanitarian assistance between the AFP and the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF).

The DND said the agreement would improve joint operational readiness and practical defense cooperation. It also supports disaster resilience and humanitarian assistance as the two countries mark 60 years of formal diplomatic relations.

“We reiterate our commitment to forging strong convergences with like-minded nations which share our unwavering commitment to a free, open, and secure Indo-Pacific, alongside building a self-reliant and credible deterrent posture to protect our national territory, secure our maritime entitlements, and ensure lasting regional stability,” Andolong said.

“Together with our partners, we will continue to resist unilateral actions and expansionist ambitions seeking to reshape international law,” he added. — Martin Sadongdong

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