Canada, PH eye military intel-sharing deal

By Joyce Ann L. Rocamora, Philippine News Aagency

INTEL SHARING. Canadian Ambassador to the Philippines David Hartman speaks to reporters on the sidelines of the Stratbase ADR Institute forum “Navigating Digital Crossroads: Advancing Cybersecurity and Democratic Resilience in the Indo-Pacific” in Makati City on Thursday (Feb. 19, 2026). He said Canada and the Philippines are in “active negotiations” for a military intelligence-sharing agreement that will be called the General Security of Information Agreement. (Photo: PNA)

MANILA – Canada and the Philippines are in active talks on a military intelligence-sharing agreement, Canadian Ambassador to the Philippines David Hartman said Thursday.

The proposed General Security of Information Agreement (GSOIA) follows the recent signing of a Status of Visiting Forces Agreement (SOVFA), which enhances military-to-military cooperation between the two countries.

“We’re in active negotiations on that now with the Department of Defense here. Again, that is indicative of how advanced the relationship is,” Hartman said on the sidelines of a forum hosted by the Stratbase ADR Institute in Makati City.

Hartman said the GSOIA would allow a freer exchange of classified information between the two militaries.

“The absence of that doesn’t preclude us from engaging very comprehensively, very robustly, but with that extra layer, it just allows us to go deeper in terms of the exchange, and the frankness and the candor of information that we’re able to share,” he said.

Similar deals signed by Canada have enabled multi-million-dollar transactions by allowing security-cleared suppliers in both countries to access classified information needed to bid on sensitive projects.

Under its Indo-Pacific Strategy, Ottawa sees Manila as a key partner in sustaining regional stability, which it considers vital to its economy.

Since launching the strategy, Canada has expanded economic and defense ties with the Philippines, with the SOVFA as the latest milestone.

For the 2026 Exercise Balikatan, Hartman said Canada plans to deploy more than 600 personnel and assets.

“This year, Canada will be the third largest participant at Balikatan. This is from three and a half years ago, when we didn’t even have a resident defense attaché,” Hartman said.

“As I’ve said repeatedly, we’re trying to put our money where our mouth is and demonstrate, not just in words but in deeds, our commitment to the Philippines and to our collective and shared interests,” he added.

Meanwhile, the two countries agreed to further strengthen collaboration in the cyber and information domains, following a meeting at Camp Aguinaldo between Department of National Defense (DND) Undersecretary Angelito De Leon, officer-in-charge of the Office of the Undersecretary for Information Systems and Cybersecurity, and Canada’s senior official for cyber security, Sami Khoury of the Communications Security Establishment (CSE), last Feb 18.

“The engagement built on the growing defense partnership between the Philippines and Canada, is highlighted by the signing of the Philippines–Canada Status of Visiting Forces Agreement (SOVFA) in November 2025,” DND spokesperson Assistant Secretary Arsenio Andolong said in a statement Thursday.

At the meeting, De Leon cited previous cyber engagements and expressed appreciation for Canada’s continued collaboration. He also conveyed the DND’s interest in learning from Canada’s best practices in cyber governance, operational coordination and resilience-building mechanisms to enhance national cyber capabilities.

Discussions focused on key areas of convergence, including the regular exchange of strategic cyber threat intelligence, updates on evolving cyber threats and institutionalizing joint training programs and professional exchanges.

The officials also discussed sustaining cooperation through the regular convening of an Annual Philippines–Canada Cyber Working Group to ensure continuity, alignment of priorities and measurable outcomes.