As strategic partners, Australia and the Philippines are dedicated to strengthening their shared economic security and expanding bilateral trade and investment.
The two countries share a deep trade and investment relationship, underpinned by robust trade agreements such as the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area (AANZFTA) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).
The Philippines is an attractive destination for Australian investment, as demonstrated by the recent entry of Anko, one of Australia’s most popular home and lifestyle brands. Anko launched its first Philippine store at Glorietta Makati last November, with plans for additional store openings in 2025.
Over 250 major Australian companies operate in the Philippines, collectively employing 44,000 Filipinos. These businesses are driving positive change by enhancing skills, facilitating technology transfer, and creating new jobs.
There is significant potential for growth. Australia aspires to lift the Philippines from its current position as the 20th largest trading partner to among its top trading partners and supports the country’s ambition to achieve upper middle-income status.
To unlock this potential, Australia has identified four key focus sectors in the Philippines: Agriculture and Food; Education and Skills; Mining; and Green Energy Transition. The Philippines’ need for high-quality investments in capital, expertise, and technology aligns with Australia’s strengths in these areas.
Australia is also committed to supporting inclusive economic growth in the Philippines. To this end, the two governments are collaborating on a new PHP 1.7-billion economic growth program, among other initiatives. This program aims to support the Philippine economy by enhancing the business enabling environment, supporting economic management reforms, and fostering investment in strategic sectors that benefit both the Philippines and Australia such as clean energy and mining.
By combining Australian innovation and investment with Philippine dynamism and potential, this bilateral partnership is a model of effective international cooperation. Together, Australia and the Philippines are not just participants in the evolving global economy—they are active architects of a more prosperous future for this region.
MESSAGE FROM THE AMBASSADOR
January 26 is Australia Day – a day to celebrate modern Australia and acknowledge our history.
For at least 65,000 years, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have lived in the great southern continent that we now call Australia. For millennia, First Nations Australians have been the land’s traditional owners and custodians of a vibrant culture – the oldest continuous culture in the world – that continues to enrich us.

Today, Australia is proud to be the most successful multicultural society on earth: one in four Australians are migrants like me, and almost half of all Aussies have a parent born overseas. This includes over 400,000 Filipinos who now call Australia home.
In the Philippines, we mark Australia Day with our friends and partners. It is an opportunity to look back and celebrate the enormous amount of collaborative work that underpins our Strategic Partnership.
The friendship between Australia and the Philippines brings together people from all walks of life. Our police forces work together on combatting transnational crime and protecting the most vulnerable in our societies. Our defence forces train together in air, land and sea. Our students study in each other’s countries, including through Australia Awards Scholarships and the New Colombo Plan. Our scientists are collaborating to improve agricultural research for the benefit of Filipino farmers, fisherfolk and better food security for the wider population.
So this Australia Day, I hope you will join me in toasting the true friendship between the Philippines and Australia; how much we have achieved, and how much more we can accomplish together.