PH, Canada pledge stronger cyber defense cooperation

By Priam Nepomuceno, Philippine News Agency

BOOSTING CYBER DEFENSE. Office for DND Information Security Officer in Charge, Odessa Rossilyz Magisa (left), and Canadian Department of National Defense’s Domains and Technology Policy Director Hani Nasser meet on the sidelines of the Digital Defense Symposium 2025 held in Singapore on July 22, 2025. The DND said on Friday (July 25, 2025) that the Philippines and Canada have reiterated their commitment to beefing up their cyber defense cooperation. (Photo courtesy of the DND)

MANILA – The Philippines and Canada reiterated their commitment to beefing up their cyber defense cooperation, the Department of National Defense (DND) said on Friday.

Filipino and Canadian representatives made the pledge during a bilateral meeting held on the sidelines of the Digital Defense Symposium 2025 in Singapore on July 22, DND spokesperson Assistant Secretary Arsenio Andolong said in a news release.

“Representing the DND Philippines, Atty. Odessa Rossilyz L. Magisa, officer in charge, Office for DND Information Security, met with Mr. Hani Nasser, Director of Domains and Technology Policy of the Department of National Defense of Canada. Both sides explored practical areas for collaboration, including capacity-building and information-sharing programs,” he added.

Andolong said the bilateral engagement is part of the broader defense partnership between the Philippines and Canada, anchored on the Memorandum of Understanding on Defense Cooperation signed in January 2024.

This was reaffirmed by the conclusion of the negotiations for the Status of Visiting Forces Agreement (SOVFA) in March this year.

Earlier this month, Manila and Ottawa also convened a high-level bilateral cyber working group meeting in the Philippines.

The Digital Defense Symposium 2025 is one of the collaboration platforms facilitated through the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) Cybersecurity and Information Center of Excellence (ACICE).