Philippines, Canada vow to bolster defense ties

The Philippines and Canada agreed to strengthen their bilateral defense cooperation during a courtesy call at the Department of National Defense.

H.E. David Bruce Hartman, Ambassador of Canada to the Philippines said Canada is committed to “supporting the rules-based order of the Indo-Pacific region” and broadening the opportunities for interoperability between the Philippine and Canadian Navy troops.

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. welcomed the visit of the HCMS Vancouver headed by Commander Meghan Coates, which will be participating in the Search and Rescue (SAR) Training component of Exercise SAMASAMA 2023.

Teodoro also recognized Colonel Stewart Taylor, Defense Attachè to the Philippines, as the first-ever foreign armed forces attaché to receive an SND Plaque of Merit.

Canada is set to post its first resident attachè to the Philippines in October 2023. —Jiselle Anne Casucian/LDF, GMA Integrated News