ADVERTISEMENT
Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider DND: PH's renewed defense pact with Italy to boost maritime security

DND: PH's renewed defense pact with Italy to boost maritime security

Published Feb 17, 2026 10:53 am
Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Theresa Lazaro (left) signs the renewed Agreement between the Philippines and Italy on Cooperation in the Field of Defense for the Philippines, with Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto representing Italy on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference in Germany on Feb. 14, 2026. (Photo: Lazaro / X)
Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Theresa Lazaro (left) signs the renewed Agreement between the Philippines and Italy on Cooperation in the Field of Defense for the Philippines, with Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto representing Italy on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference in Germany on Feb. 14, 2026. (Photo: Lazaro / X)
The Department of National Defense (DND) said the renewed defense agreement between the Philippines and Italy will help strengthen maritime security in the Indo-Pacific region and deepen bilateral military ties.
The signing of the renewed Agreement between the Philippines and Italy on Cooperation in the Field of Defense took place last Feb. 14 on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference in Germany.
Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Theresa Lazaro signed the agreement for the Philippines while Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto represented Italy.
“The signing of the renewed Agreement between the Philippines and Italy on Cooperation in the Field of Defense is a concrete step towards strengthening bilateral defense relations and advancing practical cooperation,” the DND said in a statement on Monday, Feb. 16.
It added that the agreement supports long-term capability development and interoperability between the two countries.
“Our efforts reflect a shared commitment to long-term capability development and greater interoperability, anchored on mutual respect and strategic trust,” the DND noted.
The DND also welcomed Italy’s growing role in the Indo-Pacific.
“The Department values our European partner's expanding engagement in the Indo-Pacific, and looks forward to sustained cooperation that strengthens maritime security, promotes global stability, and advances mutual interests,” it said.
Italy has steadily expanded its security and defense presence in the Indo-Pacific. Their defense engagement in the Indo-Pacific aligns with broader European strategies aimed at reinforcing a free, open, and rules-based maritime order.
Rome has publicly underscored support for the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) as a framework for managing disputes, including in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
Italian and European defense firms have also pursued industrial partnerships with the Philippine Navy (PN).
Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri teamed up with German firm Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems to offer advanced submarine solutions to PN under the third horizon of the military modernization program to bolster undersea capabilities that could enhance Manila’s maritime deterrence and domain awareness.
Italian engagement has also included exploratory talks on shipbuilding cooperation between the PN and Italian Navy to enhance technological expertise and modernization support.

Related Tags

DND Philippines-Italy defense partnership Indo-Pacific
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.