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David Hartman, Ambassador of Canada to the Philippines

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On behalf of the Government of Canada, I am pleased to welcome you to the website of the Embassy of Canada in the Philippines.

The Philippines sits at the heart of the Indo-Pacific – a region that will shape the course of global economic, political and security developments over the course of the 21st century.

In November 2022, Canada launched its Indo-Pacific Strategy – a ten-year commitment that will guide Canada’s engagement with this important region for decades to come.

The Philippines is a priority partner for Canada. Our countries share clearly articulated commitments to a rules-based international order, international security, the multilateral system, democracy and human rights, free trade, and inclusive poverty reduction.

We are both maritime nations, committed to the sound management and responsible development of fragile maritime ecosystems. Canada and the Philippines are also amongst those countries most affected by climate change. Indeed, the future interests of Canadians and Filipinos are intrinsically tied to our shared efforts to combat climate change, protect biodiversity, and ensure a green and sustainable future.

These shared priorities are reinforced by the deep people-to-people ties that bind Canadians and Filipinos. Today there are more than 1 million Canadians of Filipino origin and that number continues to grow. The Philippines is a top three source of both new immigrants and international students to Canada. The Canadian-Filipino community is a vibrant and dynamic component of Canada’s inclusive, multicultural society, contributing tremendous creativity, culture and energy to the Canadian story.

The Canada-Philippines relationship is a historic one. In 2024, we will celebrate 75 years of diplomatic relations, building on the more than 45 years of partnership we have enjoyed at ASEAN. These milestones should prompt us to reflect on the past we have shared together, and set our shared objectives for the years ahead.

Looking to the future, Canada and the Philippines have many future opportunities to deepen our partnership even further. There is much scope to expand and diversify our relationship to meet the challenges of the 21st century and there is so much we can accomplish together as friends and partners.

I hope you will find this website informative and useful – it provides important information on the services we provide, and highlights the tremendous collaboration between Canada and the Philippines.

Mabuhay!

David Hartman

Ambassador of Canada to the Philippines

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