The Philippines and New Zealand have officially begun negotiations for the Status of Visiting Forces Agreement (SOVFA).
In a statement the Department of National Defense (DND) said the first round of discussions was held on January 23, in Manila led by DND Undersecretary Pablo Lorenzo and New Zealand Ministry of Defense Director Kathleen Pearce.
The SOVFA was among the agreements reached by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.at New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon in April 2024.
The SOVFA will ratify the Memorandum of Arrangement between the DND and the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Ministry of Defense of New Zealand on Defense Cooperation, signed in 2017.
According to the DND, the agreement will strengthen cooperation between the two countries in the field of defense and military.
They added that development of the deal will be a key milestone in Philippine-New Zealand relations, especially as the two countries will celebrate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic relations in 2026.
Among the delegates from New Zealand were Ambassador Catherine McIntosh, Deputy Head of Mission Stacey Kwant, and an analyst from the MoD.
The Philippine delegation included Justice Undersecretaries Raul Vasquez and Dennis Arvin Chan, Presidential Commission on Visiting Forces Undersecretary Antonio Habulan Jr., Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretaries Aileen Mendiola-Rau and Patrick Chuasoto, and DND Assistant Secretary Erik Lawrence Dy.
The Philippines has a SOVFA with Australia, Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) with the United States and Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) with Japan.
(DND Photo)
Abner is an award-winning journalist. He received the prestigious 2015 Titus Brandsma Award for Community Communication in the Philippines and participated in the 2016 International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) of the United States of America, sponsored by the US Embassy in the Philippines. Founder of WATCH NORTH COTABATO, a media-citizens’ transparency group. He worked as a correspondent for the Philippine Daily Inquirer and CNN Philippines. His experience in broadcasting includes anchoring for Brigada News FM in Kidapawan and General Santos City and Brigada News TV. He anchors Tira Brigada via 105.1 Brigada News FM Manila, Mondays-Saturdays.