The Philippines and the United Kingdom signed on Saturday, March 8, the Philippines-UK Joint Framework agreement to chart the direction of the two countries’ relationship and cooperation in trade, defense, human rights, and regional security.
 

(From left) President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. welcomes British Foreign Secretary David Lammy during a courtesy call at Malacañan Palace on Saturday, March 8, 2025. (Mark Balmores/MANILA BULLETIN)

Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Enrique Manalo welcomed UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy in Manila to sign the framework and discuss “pressing mutual concerns” for the two nations.
 

“The Philippines’ Enhanced Partnership with the UK is an inspired testament to the strong and deep formal, sectoral, and people-to-people relations between the Philippines and the United Kingdom,” Manalo’s statement read.
 

“We resolve to take this commitment further, with the signing today of the Philippines-UK Joint Framework that is envisioned to chart the depth and direction of our Enhanced Partnership across various areas in the years ahead,” he added.
 

Manalo said he and Lammy agreed “to sustain cooperation on matters of pressing mutual concern such as defense and security, human rights, maritime, and economic resilience.”
 

For his part, the UK foreign secretary said that the Philippines and UK “are charting a new course for our relationship amidst a lot of global volatility.”
 

“We must strengthen ties with like-minded partners like the Philippines,” he added. “There is so much we can do together.”
 

In his statement, Manalo disclosed that the two countries are working on a number of agreements and engagements—an Implementing Arrangement under the 2024 Memorandum of Understanding on Defense Cooperation, an MOU on information sharing concerning maritime domain awareness, continued participation and exchanges in joint military exercises  and maritime patrols, port calls of British naval vessels, and the launch of the inaugural PH-UK Joint Economic Committee (JETCO) meeting in London this month.
 

The JETCO, in particular, aims to further develop cooperation in key areas such as infrastructure development, agriculture, and energy, including renewables.
 

A proposed PH-UK agreement on financial cooperation is also in the pipeline. This is expected to unlock a £5.2-billion credit facility for the Philippines through the UK Export Finance, on 15 key sectors including agriculture, transportation, ICT, water sanitation, and health.
 

The DFA chief added that there are also negotiations on an MOU on financing climate change adaptation and resilience projects that will include local governments and businesses communities.
 

Manalo also took the opportunity to thank the United Kingdom for its £1 million pledge for humanitarian support for the country’s response to various typhoons last year, as well as to its programs in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) that focus on gender and development, women’s participation in social development, and institution building.
 

“Under the Framework that we signed today, we will build on these achievements and pursue new engagements with the UK to set the stage for wider, deeper, and practical ways forward that benefit our countries as much as our region,” the secretary said.
 

Commitment to rules-based int’l order
 

Both officials also exchanged views on “many regional and global issues” as they are determined to find “common grounds” to emphasize their commitment to democracy, international law, and a rules-based international order. 
 

“I express the Philippines’ appreciation for the UK’s firm support of a free, peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific region, and we welcome the UK’s Indo-Pacific Approach towards a more deliberate engagement in the region, including the Philippines,” Manalo said.
 

“We are as invested as the UK and other friends and partners in making the Indo-Pacific an engine of growth and prosperity,” he added.
 

Lammy also shared that the UK places importance on its obligations in the region.
 

“We are countries that are committed to international law. We are countries that are committed to the rules-based order. We are countries that take our obligations under the UN (United Nations) Charter seriously,” he said.
 

According to Manalo, since the two countries’ Enhanced Partnership in 2021, there had been “impressive growth in our economic links” as the total bilateral trade reached £2.9 billion in recent years.
 

The Philippines and UK will celebrate the 80th anniversary of its formal diplomatic relations next year.