ADVERTISEMENT
Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider PH, UAE bolster ties as CEPA signing looms

PH, UAE bolster ties as CEPA signing looms

Published Dec 11, 2025 08:38 pm
(Photo from the UAE Embassy in the Philippines)
(Photo from the UAE Embassy in the Philippines)
The Philippines and the United Arab Emirates begin bolstering their ties as top officials from both countries gathered at the UAE Embassy in Manila for a special screening of the film “1971.”
This increased engagement came as the two countries prepare for the signing of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in January 2026, the Philippines’ first bilateral trade deal with a Middle Eastern country.
The CPEPA is expected to expand market access, enhance trade flows, and attract greater UAE investment.
"Grateful to join the screening of '1971' at the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates, a moving reflection on how unity and vision can shape a nation's future," Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Christina Franco said in a social media post.
UAE Ambassador Obaid Salem Alqataam and Special Envoy for Trade and Investment to the UAE Kathryna Yu Pimentel were also present at the event.
Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Cristina Roque earlier reiterated that the Philippines is open for investments and trade.
“That’s another good news for Philippine exporters. So let’s take advantage of this. Let’s open our market to the world. Let’s open the opportunities to the world,” she told stakeholders during the National Exporters’ Week 2025.
Yu-Pimentel, the President’s envoy for trade and investment, also reaffirmed the Philippines’ readiness for deeper economic cooperation during the “Doing Business with the Philippines” forum hosted by Dubai Chambers.
The Embassy of UAE in Manila hosts the screening of a documentary movie entitled
The Embassy of UAE in Manila hosts the screening of a documentary movie entitled "1971" on Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025 in Makati City. (DOT Photo)
“The Philippines is open, ready, and eager for stronger trade and business ties with the UAE,” she said.
Bilateral non-oil trade reached $1.08 billion in 2023, with the UAE standing as the Philippines’ top export market in the Gulf. UAE investments totaled more than $129 million from 2019 to 2023.
These figures expected to climb once CEPA is finalized.
UAE pledge for humanitarian fund
The UAE also recently pledged $550 million to support the United Nations Global Humanitarian Overview (GHO) as directed by UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
The fund aims to raise $33 billion in 2026 to support around 135 million people across 23 humanitarian operations worldwide, including programs supporting refugees and migrants.
“The initiative reaffirms the UAE’s unwavering commitment to advancing international efforts to save lives and respond to disasters and crises affecting the most vulnerable populations globally,” a statement from the UAE Embassy said.
“This support underscores the vital role of the UAE in promoting multilateral humanitarian action and the nation’s close cooperation with UN agencies, including the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), as well as with relief and development programs operating on the ground, to ensure timely access to aid for those most in need, in line with His Highness’s directives emphasizing a rapid and effective response,” it added.
Minister of State for International Cooperation Her Excellency Reem bint Ebrahim Al Hashimy also underscored that the UAE’s contribution shows its “steadfast commitment” to supporting global humanitarian efforts.
“This pledge embodies the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and reflects our profound belief in the necessity of international solidarity in responding to urgent humanitarian appeals in an effective and sustainable manner that preserves human dignity and protects lives,” she said.

Related Tags

United Arab Emirates (UAE) humanitarian assistance CEPA bilateral trade
ADVERTISEMENT
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1561_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1562_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1563_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}

{{ articles_filter_1564_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.mb-article-details { position: relative; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview, .mb-article-details .article-body-summary{ font-size: 17px; line-height: 30px; font-family: "Libre Caslon Text", serif; color: #000; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview iframe , .mb-article-details .article-body-summary iframe{ width: 100%; margin: auto; } .read-more-background { background: linear-gradient(180deg, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0) 13.75%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0.8) 30.79%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000) 72.5%); position: absolute; height: 200px; width: 100%; bottom: 0; display: flex; justify-content: center; align-items: center; padding: 0; } .read-more-background a{ color: #000; } .read-more-btn { padding: 17px 45px; font-family: Inter; font-weight: 700; font-size: 18px; line-height: 16px; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; border: 1px solid black; background-color: white; } .hidden { display: none; }
function initializeAllSwipers() { // Get all hidden inputs with cms_article_id document.querySelectorAll('[id^="cms_article_id_"]').forEach(function (input) { const cmsArticleId = input.value; const articleSelector = '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .body_images'; const swiperElement = document.querySelector(articleSelector); if (swiperElement && !swiperElement.classList.contains('swiper-initialized')) { new Swiper(articleSelector, { loop: true, pagination: false, navigation: { nextEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-next', prevEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-prev', }, }); } }); } setTimeout(initializeAllSwipers, 3000); const intersectionObserver = new IntersectionObserver( (entries) => { entries.forEach((entry) => { if (entry.isIntersecting) { const newUrl = entry.target.getAttribute("data-url"); if (newUrl) { history.pushState(null, null, newUrl); let article = entry.target; // Extract metadata const author = article.querySelector('.author-section').textContent.replace('By', '').trim(); const section = article.querySelector('.section-info ').textContent.replace(' ', ' '); const title = article.querySelector('.article-title h1').textContent; // Parse URL for Chartbeat path format const parsedUrl = new URL(newUrl, window.location.origin); const cleanUrl = parsedUrl.host + parsedUrl.pathname; // Update Chartbeat configuration if (typeof window._sf_async_config !== 'undefined') { window._sf_async_config.path = cleanUrl; window._sf_async_config.sections = section; window._sf_async_config.authors = author; } // Track virtual page view with Chartbeat if (typeof pSUPERFLY !== 'undefined' && typeof pSUPERFLY.virtualPage === 'function') { try { pSUPERFLY.virtualPage({ path: cleanUrl, title: title, sections: section, authors: author }); } catch (error) { console.error('ping error', error); } } // Optional: Update document title if (title && title !== document.title) { document.title = title; } } } }); }, { threshold: 0.1 } ); function showArticleBody(button) { const article = button.closest("article"); const summary = article.querySelector(".article-body-summary"); const body = article.querySelector(".article-body-preview"); const readMoreSection = article.querySelector(".read-more-background"); // Hide summary and read-more section summary.style.display = "none"; readMoreSection.style.display = "none"; // Show the full article body body.classList.remove("hidden"); } document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", () => { let loadCount = 0; // Track how many times articles are loaded const offset = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]; // Offset values const currentUrl = window.location.pathname.substring(1); let isLoading = false; // Prevent multiple calls if (!currentUrl) { console.log("Current URL is invalid."); return; } const sentinel = document.getElementById("load-more-sentinel"); if (!sentinel) { console.log("Sentinel element not found."); return; } function isSentinelVisible() { const rect = sentinel.getBoundingClientRect(); return ( rect.top < window.innerHeight && rect.bottom >= 0 ); } function onScroll() { if (isLoading) return; if (isSentinelVisible()) { if (loadCount >= offset.length) { console.log("Maximum load attempts reached."); window.removeEventListener("scroll", onScroll); return; } isLoading = true; const currentOffset = offset[loadCount]; window.loadMoreItems().then(() => { let article = document.querySelector('#widget_1690 > div:nth-last-of-type(2) article'); intersectionObserver.observe(article) loadCount++; }).catch(error => { console.error("Error loading more items:", error); }).finally(() => { isLoading = false; }); } } window.addEventListener("scroll", onScroll); });
Join Our Newsletters

Sign up by email to receive news.

© 2025 Manila Bulletin The Nation's Leading Newspaper. All Rights Reserved.