Philippines-Australia: Finishing 2023 on a high note

Dear friends,

Maligayang Pasko!

I can’t quite believe that I’m about to celebrate my second Christmas here in the Philippines – I’ve said this before, but time really flies when you’re having fun. During my first Christmas, I learned two things about the Filipino people – first, Filipinos are one of the most joyous people, who celebrate Christmas like no other in the world; and two, just like most Australians, Christmas to Filipinos means a special time to reunite with family and friends, and to celebrate the year’s achievements with colleagues over good food.

So, on the very first day of December, I made sure to have our Christmas party at the embassy, to celebrate the successes of our very busy year. And in true Fil-Aussie style, I would also like to take this opportunity to celebrate the milestones that Australia and the Philippines have accomplished together in 2023, as partners and true friends.

The most important, of course, was the elevation of our bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by our leaders, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., in September. The Strategic Partnership signifies our shared commitment to work together in a deep and meaningful way, to create a region that we all want to live in – a region which is stable, peaceful and prosperous for all of us.

In October, the sixth Philippines-Australia Ministerial Meeting followed, where Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Trade Minister Don Farrell engaged with the Philippines’ Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo and Trade and Industry Secretary Alfredo Pascual in Adelaide, Australia. Together, they agreed on a practical plan to take the Strategic Partnership forward, including new cooperation in trade, defence, maritime security and green energy.

In August, Australia and the Philippines had our largest joint training activity, involving six ships, multiple aircraft and more than 2,000 defense personnel, in Palawan and Zambales. Following this, our Australian and Philippine armed forces conducted the inaugural Maritime Cooperative Activity in the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines in November. These activities highlight our shared commitment to exercising freedom of navigation and overflight consistent with international law.

And just as remarkable, this year, Australia’s Southeast Asia Economic Strategy was launched. Under this long-term plan, Australia and the Philippines will work closer together to realize the commercial potential between our two countries and the rest of the region. A lot of exciting things are developing in this space, including the recently signed agreement to boost our fintech cooperation, and a series of two-way business missions between our countries.

So, to prepare myself for what will no doubt be an even busier and more exciting 2024, I’m spending what is left of 2023 with my parents, who are visiting from Perth for three weeks, and my darling husband Fergus, in the Philippines.

We already had a mini holiday to Batangas last week, where we got to explore the beautiful coves on a speed boat, swim in the pristine ocean and pools and play ten-pin bowling and darts. My dad, who is 82, and my mum, who is 77, had never been on a speed boat or played ten-pin bowling before.  So, it was wonderful to share these experiences with them in none other than the beautiful Philippines. And of course, there were plenty of delicious Filipino food and beautiful Christmas parols wherever we went!

They say that for Filipinos, making the Christmas parol and hanging it outside their windows symbolize the victory of light over darkness, as well as their shared expression of faith and hope. In the same way, the world sees Australians as optimistic – and indeed, this determined optimism is the connecting thread that runs through everything we do.

As I sign off for 2023, I am filled with excitement and hope for the future. Looking back at the very busy year that we’ve had, I can say that Australia and the Philippines are at the highest point of our relationship in history. And with the Strategic Partnership, it’s only going to get even stronger and deeper.

For now, I would like to thank you for reading my letters, and wish you all a safe and happy holiday season with your loved ones. See you in 2024!

Yours truly

HK

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HK Yu is the Australian Ambassador to the Philippines. Follow her on X (formerly Twitter) @AusAmbPH.