The Philippines and Australia advanced their defense partnership during the 25th Philippines-Australia Defense Cooperation Working Group meeting held in Makati City on Thursday, June 11.
The Philippine delegation was headed by Department of National Defense Director Faysaleyyah Abdullah, while the Australian side was led by Acting Director Claire Woo of the Australian Department of Defense.
During the meeting, both countries reviewed the implementation of defense engagements under the 2025-2026 cycle and endorsed a new set of activities for 2026-2027.
Discussions covered several areas of cooperation, including operations, intelligence, logistics and engineering, education and training, as well as strategy and policy.
The meeting reaffirmed the growing defense ties between the Philippines and Australia, anchored on shared values and a common commitment to a rules-based international order in the Indo-Pacific.
The Defense Cooperation Working Group serves as an annual working-level dialogue between the DND, its bureaus, and Australian defense counterparts. It provides a platform to assess ongoing bilateral defense activities and plan future engagements.
The 25th meeting builds on recent high-level exchanges between the two countries, including the 2nd Philippines-Australia Defense Ministers’ Meeting held in August 2025.