Department of National Defense (DND) Undersecretary for Information Systems and Cybersecurity Fabian M. Pedregosa met with Canadian Senior Associate Deputy Minister of National Defence Kevin Brosseau on Monday, September 7, to explore new avenues for advancing bilateral defense cooperation between the two nations.
The meeting, held on the sidelines of the Seoul Defense Dialogue, comes on the heels of the Philippine Senate’s concurrence with the Philippine-Canada Status of Visiting Forces Agreement (SOVFA) earlier this year. Both officials expressed optimism regarding Canada’s future participation in bilateral military exercises and multilateral engagements alongside existing SOVFA partners, including the United States, Japan, and Australia.
During their discussions, Pedregosa and Brosseau identified key areas for technological and operational collaboration, including artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, unmanned systems, electronic warfare and spaceport operations. They also addressed shared security challenges, particularly cyber-enabled threats such as online radicalization and foreign disinformation campaigns.
Pedregosa reaffirmed the DND’s support for Manila hosting Canada’s Office of the Senior Military Representative to the Indo-Pacific. He also expressed gratitude for Ottawa’s technical assistance to the Philippines, particularly in dark vessel detection capabilities aimed at monitoring illegal or unflagged maritime activity.
The bilateral talks build upon the Statement of Intent signed in June 2026 by Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto C. Teodoro Jr. and Canadian Defense Minister David McGuinty, signaling a continued commitment to deepening security ties across the Pacific.