The Philippines and Australia set a defense cooperation agreement for 2026

Philippine Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro and Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defense Richard Marles signed a defense cooperation agreement for 2026 during the second Philippine-Australia Defense Ministers' Meeting in Manila.

Australia's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defense Richard Marles with Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro during the Combined Joint Forcible Entry Operations (CJFEO) along Long Beach, Barangay New Agutaya, San Vicente, Palawan, August 2025 as part of Exercise Amphibious and Land Operations 2025 (Exercise ALON 2025). Credit: Department of National Defense- Philippines

Key Points

• Australia will also support infrastructure development in the Philippines that will benefit the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
• The infrastructure development support will focus on eight projects in five locations in the Philippines.
• Philippine Defense Secretary Teodoro also expressed gratitude to Australia’s support in relation to the South China Sea dispute in particular for standing by international law in relation to the challenges in the Indo-Pacific Region.

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The Philippines and Australia set a defense cooperation agreement for 2026

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In other latest news in the Philippines, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has signed Republic Act Number 12253, or the Enhanced Fiscal Regime for Large-Scale Metallic Mining Act.

Under the law, profits are predicted to reach up to 25.08 billion pesos for the Philippines from 2026 to 2029, or an average of 6.26 billion pesos annually.

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