Partnering for security and prosperity

Mabuhay!

On Aug. 19, I had the privilege of presenting my credentials to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. This marks the beginning of my time as Australia’s Ambassador to the Philippines.  The Philippines is an increasingly significant partner for Australia. Our countries have never been closer – and I am honored to play a role in advancing our Strategic Partnership, to the benefit of both Australians and Filipinos.

My first month here has been both busy and rewarding. On a personal level, I have felt the warmth and generosity of Filipinos first-hand. Professionally, I have been struck by the depth and breadth of cooperation between our two nations in almost every field.

One area in which Australia and the Philippines are stepping up cooperation is in the maritime domain. On Aug. 7, Australia and the Philippines held our fifth Maritime Dialogue. At the heart of this dialogue is a simple goal: ensuring that our seas remain peaceful, stable and secure for everyone, and that international law is observed and maintained. Our enhanced cooperation is delivering benefits for local fishing communities and our shared marine environment.

Later in the month, Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defense, Richard Marles, traveled to Manila for the third time. His visit highlighted how strong our defense partnership has become. Together with Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro Jr., he signed a Statement of Intent on Enhanced Defense Cooperation. This agreement sets us on a path toward more joint training, deeper cooperation and better interoperability between our armed forces.

What does this mean in practice? It means our soldiers will train together more often, learn new skills side by side and be able to operate seamlessly with shared technology and infrastructure. It also means stronger information-sharing and closer coordination, essential in today’s complex security environment.

More importantly, our enhanced defense cooperation will also help strengthen the Philippines’ own territorial defense. Australia will support the construction, upgrade and maintenance of facilities here in the Philippines – with full respect for Philippine sovereignty. This will help the Philippines protect its extensive maritime domain, particularly in the West Philippine Sea, while advancing our shared interests in the region.

We are also working more closely with other partners, including Japan and the United States, through regular maritime activities in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone. Cooperation with like-minded countries is critical if we want to ensure that the Indo-Pacific remains open, secure and free from coercion.

All of this is happening against the backdrop of Exercise ALON 2025 – Australia’s largest overseas military exercise this year. ALON brought together over 3,650 personnel from Australia and the Philippines, including members of the Royal Canadian Navy and the United States Marine Corps. The training spanned land, sea, air, with essential support from cyber and space domains. But just as important as the technical skills was the friendships that grew between our men and women in uniform.

I saw various elements of the exercise in Manila, Clark and Palawan, and I was deeply impressed by the capabilities deployed and the excellent cooperation evident between the participating forces. ALON demonstrated that defense collaboration is an integral part of our strategic partnership. It underlined our shared strategic outlook and our determination to meet geo-strategic challenges.

Looking ahead, we have an exciting agenda of bilateral engagement. We look forward to the next Philippines-Australia Ministerial Meeting involving our two sets of Foreign and Trade ministers. There will also be intense contact as the Philippines is the chair of ASEAN in 2026.  The year ahead is very special – it is the 80th anniversary of diplomatic relations between our two countries!

A particular priority for me will be working to facilitate greater trade and investment between our two countries. Two years ago I led a team that wrote the Australian Government’s Southeast Asia Strategy – “Invested.” It’s a blueprint to drive greater commercial links between Australia and the countries of Southeast Asia. The way we look at it is that Australia and the region’s future economic prosperity are linked. I am keen to play my part in helping achieve that important objective, and have started meeting the Philippines’ major corporations.

On a personal note, I am accompanied in the Philippines by my wife Neda and two children. We have very much enjoyed our initial Manila experiences learning about the wonderful culture and enjoying the delicious food. We have already done a couple of great trips to Lake Taal and Batangas. As I noted above, during Exercise ALON I also saw the pristine beauty of Palawan, which was just extraordinary. I look forward to seeing a lot of this beautiful country!

Prior to coming to the Philippines, I have worked on a range of Southeast Asia and Middle East and African issues over the years. Most recently I came from headquarters in Canberra where I was the head of the Middle East and Africa Division in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. I have previously been Ambassador in Turkiye, Iran and Iraq. As a junior officer I also served in Australia’s embassies in Washington and Bangkok.

In closing, already I have seen the depth of trust, respect and shared values that underpin the Australia-Philippines relationship. I look forward to continuing this journey together – as friends, partners and neighbors – towards a more secure and prosperous future for our two countries and the wider region.