A historic visit: Germany’s Federal President visits the Philippines

Imagine walking into our embassy premises these days: you would observe the team diligently managing routine tasks – responding to inquiries, processing visa applications and attending meetings. Yet, these days, there is a distinguishable energy in the air, and you would also find embassy staff poring over details for motorcade arrangements, reviewing flight clearances, sending out press invitations and polishing intricate program schedules. We are preparing a historic occasion: the visit of Germany’s Federal President, H.E. Frank-Walter Steinmeier, to the Republic of the Philippines.

Late at night on June 15, the President and his wife will arrive in the Philippines from Indonesia at the invitation of H.E. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and the First Lady. It will be an intense day: the official meeting between our two heads of state will definitely be the highlight of the visit. They will not only take stock of our excellent bilateral relations based on shared values and the unwavering joint commitment to the rules-based international order, but also explore avenues to further strengthen the ties between our countries on all fronts: political and security cooperation, business relations, tackling the consequences of climate change, advancing sustainable development and deepen cultural understanding between Germany and the Philippines. The Federal President will also learn about the importance of the Philippines’ national hero, José Rizal, and his significant links with Germany by visiting different places in Manila related to Rizal. He will view furniture from Rizal’s apartment in Wilhelmsfeld, where Rizal resided during his stay in Germany in 1886/87, as well as study the original manuscript of Rizal’s famous novel “Noli Me Tangere,” which was first published in Berlin, Germany, in 1887. The Federal President, accompanied by an important business delegation, will visit German companies in Manila to witness how German engineering and Filipino skilled workforce can drive innovation and efficiency.

Germany’s Federal President’s visit to the Philippines will be the crowning highlight in a series of increasingly frequent high-level visits: the Munich Security Conference has consistently seen participation by Philippine foreign secretaries. In March 2024, President Marcos paid an official visit to Germany and met then Federal Chancellor Scholz. In the Philippines, we received then Federal Foreign Minister Baerbock in January 2024, followed by the first ever visit of a German Defense Minister, Boris Pistorius, in August 2024. In the aftermath of the visit, both defense ministers signed the first ever arrangement on defense cooperation between our countries in May 2025 at the International UN Peacekeeping Conference in Berlin. Additionally, the port call of two ships of the Germany Navy in September 2024 underlined Germany’s commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. Germany’s participation as observer in the Balikatan exercise since 2024 is another example of increasingly intense cooperation on security. As one of the biggest trading nations in the world, Germany has an essential interest in open shipping routes and the freedom of navigation. On the cultural end, the Philippines was the country of honor at last year’s Frankfurt Book Fair in October, showcasing the richness and diversity of Filipino culture to an international audience.

All these exchanges carry a symbolic significance. They reflect our great mutual appreciation and respect as well as the importance both countries place on this partnership. With the upcoming visit, we also want to send a clear message to the global stage: Germany and the Philippines are partners and allies.

Germany continues to be the biggest trading and investment partner of the Philippines in the EU, with a trade volume of more than five billion Euros. More than 150 German companies are active in the Philippines. Lufthansa Technik, a key global player in aircraft maintenance, has decided to invest more than $120 million in a new facility in Clark, creating new jobs.

For decades, the German government has supported and continues to support the Philippines in tackling climate change. The ongoing TRANSCEND program allocates more than 35 million Euros for climate change and biodiversity related programs.

I am confident that the visit of Germany’s Federal President will act as a catalyst to further strengthening all aspects of German-Philippine relations. As the President will be accompanied by a huge delegation of officials, a business delegation and guests representing civil society, the visit reflects a unique opportunity to bolster people-to-people exchange across all fields. Such exchanges play a key role in keeping foreign relations alive. Diplomacy is not solely built on the exchange of high-level visitors – it thrives on human connections. Be it academic partnerships, business collaborations or intercultural bonds formed through shared experiences, it is the people who sustain and nurture bilateral relations.

More than 30,000 Filipinos living and working in Germany and the thousands of Germans calling the Philippines their home are prime examples of the people-to-people ties that unite our two countries.

This visit of the German Federal President offers a platform for German and Filipino stakeholders across various sectors to come together and shape the future of our bilateral relations. This is what drives us at the embassy to ensure the success of this visit. It will pave the way for new bilateral initiatives, foster deeper cultural exchanges and strengthen economic partnerships.

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Andreas Michael Pfaffernoschke is the German Ambassador to the Philippines.