MAKATI CITY, October 26, 2026 — Secretary of National Defense Gilberto C. Teodoro Jr. raised the possibility of expanding the Philippines’ Status of Visiting Forces Agreements (SOVFAs) with like-minded countries to strengthen international peacekeeping cooperation, enhance military interoperability, and advance collective security efforts under the auspices of the United Nations (UN).
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Association of Asia-Pacific Peace Operations Training Centers (AAPTC) 13th Annual General Meeting and Workshop 2026 on Monday, he noted that the Philippines currently maintains SOVFAs with five member countries of the association, specifically France, Canada, Australia, Japan, and New Zealand, anchored on shared principles of international law, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), interoperability, collective security, and deterrence.
“It opens up my eyes, too, to the possibility of stronger relationships to include perhaps Status of Visiting Forces Agreements with countries where we do not have a misalignment of fundamental values,” Secretary Teodoro said, emphasizing that such partnerships could facilitate more realistic joint training, strengthen force protection, and improve the delivery of essential services to conflict-affected communities.
The Defense Chief also urged the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to actively cooperate with regional peacekeeping partners and explore opportunities to enhance defense cooperation, citing peacekeeping as a powerful instrument of military diplomacy that builds knowledge sharing, professional relationships, and partnerships among participating countries.
He also stressed the necessity of having proper rules of engagement, effective command-and-control arrangements, and adequate force protection measures to ensure that peacekeepers can perform their mandated tasks without being unnecessarily exposed to harm while maintaining the credibility and effectiveness of UN peacekeeping operations.
The Defense Chief reiterated the Philippines’ enduring commitment to UN peacekeeping and international law, highlighting the need to strengthen partnerships among participating countries to protect civilians, improve operational effectiveness, and uphold international peace and security.
During the ceremony, Secretary Teodoro also led the formal turnover of the chairmanship and flag of the AAPTC from Bangladesh to the Philippines, with outgoing chairmanship representative Brigadier General Mohammad Hafiz Mahmud, Deputy Commandant of the Bangladesh Institute of Peace Support Operation Training (BIPSOT), and incoming chairperson Colonel Warlito A. Limet, Commanding Officer of the AFP Peacekeeping Operations Center (PKOC), leading the turnover proceedings.
The event, themed “Technology, Information and Influence: Preparing Peacekeepers for Modern Conflict Zones in a Resource-Constrained Environment,” seeks to enhance regional cooperation, promote knowledge exchange, and identify new approaches to training for peace operations, equipping peacekeepers to address new security challenges, technological developments, and resource limitations in today’s conflict environments.
The opening ceremony also featured remarks by Captain James S. Ramon Jr., Executive Officer of the AFP PKOC; and Mr. Atul Khare, UN Under-Secretary-General for Operational Support, while attendees included representatives of peace operations training centers from Asia-Pacific countries, military officers, peacekeeping practitioners, and UN officials, including Mr. Harinder Sood, Chief of the Integrated Training Service; and Mr. Herbert Loret, Team Leader of the UN Light Coordination Mechanism.