As India and the Philippines mark 75 years of diplomatic relations, Philippines Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo emphasized the rapid growth of bilateral ties, highlighting expanded cooperation in renewable energy, maritime security, cybersecurity, AI, and health. He also reaffirmed the commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
Speaking to media, Manalo underlined the historic ties between the two nations and the accelerated collaboration in key sectors over the past few years.
“We are celebrating the 75th anniversary of official relations between the Philippines and India, even though we have been partners for centuries… In the last 4 or 5 years, our relationship has really grown by leaps and bounds. We have expanded our cooperation in various sectors such as renewable energy, maritime cooperation, cybersecurity, AI, IT, pharmaceuticals and medical services, health security… We believe the Indo-Pacific region should be free and open and a region that contributes to peace, prosperity, and the security of our people…” Manalo said.
Meeting with EAM S. Jaishankar
During his visit, Manalo met with Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on the sidelines of the Raisina Dialogue 2025 to discuss connectivity, maritime cooperation, and strengthening India-ASEAN ties.
Following the meeting, Jaishankar posted on X, saying:
“Welcomed @SecManalo at #Raisina2025. Had a wide-ranging discussion on connectivity, maritime, infrastructure, and deepening our ASEAN partnership.”
Preferential Trade Agreement & Investment Opportunities
Manalo also confirmed that a bilateral Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) with India is under discussion. The Philippines aims to deepen engagement with Indian businesses, particularly in automotive, battery production, IT services, pharmaceuticals, health, and agriculture.
A major focus is on the nickel industry, as the Philippines seeks to diversify away from its 98% dependence on China for nickel exports.
“The Philippines is the world’s largest exporter of nickel ore, with exports valued at approximately USD 1.95 billion, chiefly used in lithium-ion battery production,” Manalo stated.
“Currently, nearly 98 per cent of our exports go to China, with Japan importing the remaining 2 per cent. We are quite interested to see India become a player in our nickel sector, not just for export diversification but crucially for processing and development of a value chain.”
The Philippines sees an opportunity for India to realign its nickel supply chain, as India currently imports nickel from Russia, Norway, and Japan.
“This represents a natural complementarity between our economies that remains largely unexploited,” Manalo added.
Manalo also emphasized the need to accelerate negotiations on the PTA, which has been in preliminary discussions for two years.
Expanding Trade and Business Ties
The India-Philippines trade relationship has nearly doubled in recent years, with bilateral trade reaching approximately USD 3.5 billion in 2024.
During a session with FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry), FICCI President Harsha Vardhan Agarwal noted that India’s pharmaceutical industry accounts for 20% of Indian pharma exports to the Asian region.
“While we continue to be engaged through trade and investment, I’m happy to see that engagement is diversifying into new and strategic sectors,” Agarwal said, highlighting waste management, green mobility, and agricultural technology as promising areas for collaboration.
India’s defence partnership with the Philippines is also growing, with the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile delivery to Manila in April 2024 marking a milestone.
Visa Facilitation for Indian Businesses
To boost trade and tourism, Manalo highlighted the Philippines’ e-visa system for Indian travellers and business visitors.
“We are meeting even as we speak to see how we can further enhance and improve the visa system specifically for India,” he said.
Philippine Ambassador to India, Josel Francisco Ignacio, elaborated on fast-track visa processing for legitimate businesses, adding that multiple-entry visas for six months to one year are already available, with further improvements expected soon.
Conclusion
As India and the Philippines continue to strengthen their strategic ties, both nations are actively exploring new areas of collaboration across trade, defence, technology, and renewable energy. With talks on a Preferential Trade Agreement progressing, business and diplomatic engagements are set to expand, further reinforcing the growing partnership between the two Indo-Pacific economies.