A Background Note in support of APF Canada’s Canada-Philippines Track 1.5 dialogue on economic security on March 11-13, 2026, in Manila, Philippines. This strategic dialogue is an APF Canada event co-hosted with the Embassy of Canada to the Philippines and Stratbase.
Amid the ongoing geopolitical shocks and supply-chain disruptions cascading across production networks and financial systems, economic security has emerged as a central policy priority for Canada and the Philippines. Both countries are seeking to balance resilience with continued market integration— Canada through diversification, trusted partnerships, and standards based co-operation under its Indo-Pacific Strategy, and the Philippines through infrastructure modernization, digitalization, energy security, and investment promotion within existing institutional constraints. The central challenge for both remains mitigating sectors pecific vulnerabilities while preserving the long-term gains of open economic integration.
The Philippines-Canada relationship is underpinned by 76 years of sustained diplomatic engagement, expanding security co-operation, strong economic ties, and strong people-to-people ties. In October 2025, Prime Minister Mark Carney met with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit and announced their intention to imminently launch negotiations on a bilateral Canada-Philippines free trade agreement. This announcement came at a pivotal time for Canada, which is aiming to double Canada’s non-U.S. exports in the next decade.
With Canada-ASEAN relations elevated to a Strategic Partnership, the Philippines’ 2026 ASEAN chairmanship adds a multilateral dimension to Canada-Philippines cooperation, especially where bilateral initiatives align with ASEAN priorities. As ASEAN Chair, the Philippines has highlighted regional stability, supply-chain resilience, digital integration, and infrastructure connectivity as priorities within the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 framework.
With the impending Canada-ASEAN FTA and bilateral Canada-Philippines FTA negotiations, APF Canada’s Canada-Philippines Track 1.5 Dialogue on Economic Security offers a timely opportunity to deepen co-operation on economic resilience.
