13 October, CANBERRA – In a ministerial meeting held on 10 October in Adelaide, South Australia, the Philippines and Australia adopted a three-year Plan of Action to advance the Joint Declaration on Strategic Partnership signed by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on 8 September in Manila.

Secretary for Foreign Affairs Enrique Manalo and Secretary of Trade and Industry Alfredo Pascual co-chaired the Philippines-Australia Ministerial Meeting (PAMM) with Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong and Minister for Trade and Tourism Don Farrell where they discussed key issues and initiatives in the bilateral cooperation, bilateral and regional trade and investment, and regional developments. The PAMM was held at the Government House where the Secretaries and Ministers had the opportunity to call on the Governor of South Australia, Her Excellency the Honourable Frances Adamson.

Drawing from the significant contribution of the Filipino community to the State of South Australia, Premier Peter Malinauskas MP hosted a reception for the Philippine delegation and underscored the importance of Australia-Philippines relations.

In their first visit to Adelaide, Secretary Manalo and Secretary Pascual recognized the potential for further engagement between the Philippines and South Australia. Secretary Manalo delivered keynote remarks at the University of Adelaide in a forum organized by the Australian Institute of International Affairs South Australia (AIIA-SA) where he discussed the historic friendship of the two maritime democracies and the priorities of the Strategic Partnership. At a business roundtable held on 9 October, Secretary Pascual presented the many opportunities that Australian business should seize in the Philippines and addressed their questions on doing business in the country.

The PAMM Joint Statement may be accessed [here]. -- END