Australia and the Philippines: Reliable, trusted friends for 80 years

In 2026, Australia and the Philippines celebrate 80 years of diplomatic relations. Eight decades of a friendship characterized by trust and respect, the pursuit of common interests and close cooperation.

Australia was one of the Philippines’ first bilateral partners when our consulate-general opened in May 1946. But our shared history, our ties of culture and family, span even earlier than our formal diplomatic relationship.

Australia and the Philippines have long shared a determination to navigate the challenges of our time.

We served and sacrificed together in World War II and the Korean War.

In 1999, the Philippines joined Australia in supporting independence for Timor-Leste.

And in 2013, Australian defense personnel and medical mission teams returned to the Philippines to provide humanitarian assistance after Typhoon Yolanda.

Australia’s history with the Philippines is deeply intertwined, and our futures are too.

Today, Australia is home to a vibrant community of 400,000 Australians of Filipino heritage.

Australia sees the Philippines as an increasingly important strategic partner, and we are ambitious about what we can achieve together.

We are increasing cooperation, strengthening capacity and working together to shape a future that benefits our people and the region. We are focused on four key areas: trade and investment, defense, civil maritime cooperation and development.

Two years ago, the Australian Government wrote a Southeast Asia Economic Strategy out to 2040, with the objective of increasing trade and investment with our region, including the Philippines.

I was the lead author of this strategy and so it is also a key personal objective to see it successfully implemented. I have been meeting the leaders of major companies to take this work forward.

Our new strategy is helping Australian businesses and investors to pursue opportunities in key sectors in the Philippines, including agriculture and food, education and skills, resources and the clean energy transition.

We have already seen this in action. There are now more than 250 major Australian companies that operate in the Philippines, like retail store ANKO – which now has five outlets across the Philippines, and with more planned. Australia-Philippines two-way trade reached over P400 billion in 2024. In 2025 we delivered seven trade and investment missions across these key sectors.

Australia and the Philippines share one of the region’s most enduring defense partnerships, but we are also expanding our cooperation in defense, to support regional security.

In 2025 we had Exercise ALON in the Philippines – Australia’s largest military exercise overseas that year with over 3,500 personnel engaged.

Our two defense ministers have agreed to develop a new Defense Cooperation Agreement in the next 12 months, building on the annual defense ministers’ meeting. We are strengthening interoperability, increasing our combined collective capability and deepening our people-to-people ties.

As two island nations, we are particularly focused on civil-maritime cooperation. The Philippines is the largest recipient of Australia’s P2.5-billion Southeast Asia maritime program – we have provided drone equipment, other technology, law of the sea training and scholarships to strengthen the Coast Guard’s maritime domain, awareness and protection capabilities.

Our development aid to the Philippines is also one of our very largest at P3.6 billion a year. Our partnership-based approach seeks to contribute to a more stable, prosperous and resilient Philippines. Priority areas are in education, the justice sector, climate, sustainable agriculture and economic governance.

2026 will be a busy year for Australia and the Philippines. The 80th anniversary of our diplomatic relations also coincides with the Philippines assuming the ASEAN chair. Grounded by our shared interests and mutual respect, Australia and the Philippines uphold ASEAN centrality, protect sovereignty and strengthen the rules-based order that keeps our seas open and our people safe.

As Australia, the Philippines and ASEAN move forward together to address common challenges and seize new opportunities, we must not forget how far we have come.

To mark this milestone 80th anniversary, throughout 2026 there will be a series of events, both in the Philippines and Australia.

As trusted friends and neighbors, Australia and the Philippines have been invested in one another for 80 years. Our nations have never been closer. Today, as strategic partners we are working together to deliver real benefits for our communities and to shape a secure, stable and prosperous future for all.

*      *      *

Marc Innes-Brown is the Australian Ambassador to the Philippines.