Philippines and Chile Cap Historic Year with 6th Bilateral Consultation Meeting and Inaugural Joint Economic Commission Meeting

Undersecretary Maria Theresa P. Lazaro and Secretary General for Foreign Policy Alex Wetzig shake hands before the Bilateral Consultation Meeting.
(Photo courtesy of DFA-OPCD Maria Vanessa Ubac)

29 August 2023 – The Philippines and Chile capped a historic year in their relations on 18 August 2023 with the holding of the 6th Bilateral Consultation Meeting (BCM), the first to be held in four years.  The BCM was held on the heels of the inaugural Joint Economic Committee Meeting (JEC) on 15 August 2023 as well as a virtual Joint Working Group (JWG) Meeting on Agriculture on 6 July 2023.

The BCM is a platform that facilitates comprehensive discussions on various aspects of the bilateral relation and charts the course for future engagements.

DFA Undersecretary for Bilateral Relations and ASEAN Affairs, Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro, led the Philippine Delegation to the BCM, while Chilean Secretary General for Foreign Policy, Alex Wetzig, headed the Chilean delegation.

In her opening remarks, Undersecretary Lazaro highlighted the need to operationalize projects and agreements between the two countries, in order to sustain the momentum of bilateral relations. 

The delegations held substantive discussions on a range of issues including cooperation in disaster risk reduction and management; agriculture; trade and investments; science and technology; maritime cooperation; environmental cooperation; people-to-people relations; as well as exchanges of views on various regional and multilateral issues of mutual concern.

The Philippines and Chile are both located in the Pacific Ring of Fire and are regularly beset by various natural disasters, including earthquakes and typhoons. The Philippines looks to learn from Chile’s experience and strategy on earthquake preparedness and response, which includes mandatory daily drills and detailed reporting. A preliminary meeting between the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) and Chile’s Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service (SHOA) also took place on 8 August to explore possible cooperation between the two agencies.

The BCM  also explored possible cooperation on science and technology, including in space cooperation and astronomy; renewable energy; food technology; and sustainable mining practices.

During the meeting, the delegations also witnessed the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Cooperation in Aquaculture and Fisheries. Department of Agriculture Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban, Undersecretary for Fisheries Drusila Bayate, and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) Director Demosthenes Escoto, were present during the signing.

In the afternoon following the BCM, Secretary General Wetzig spoke to an audience of diplomats, academics, and foreign affairs researchers in his lecture entitled “Chile and Southeast Asian Relations: Fulfilling Opportunities”, held at the DFA - Foreign Service Institute (FSI). Professor Aries Arugay, Chair of the University of the Philippines - Diliman Political Science Department, served as discussant.

Earlier in the week, the Philippines and Chile held the inaugural Joint Economic Commission (JEC) on 15 August 2023, which was co-chaired by DTI Undersecretary for the Industry Development Group, Dr. Ceferino Rodolfo, and Ambassador Pablo Urria, Head of the Asia-Pacific Division at the Chilean Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Undersecretary for International Economic Relations. Following this meeting, both sides committed to create a joint study group to re-start discussions and study a possible Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the Philippines and Chile. END

DA Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban (in barong) and BFAR Director Demosthenes Escoto (in suit) hold the signed copies of the MOU on Cooperation in Aquaculture and Fisheries. They are joined by (L-R) PH Ambassador to Chile, CelesteVinzon-Balatbat; Undersecretary Lazaro; DA Undersecretary for Fisheries Drusila Bayate; Secretary General Wetzig; and Chilean Ambassador to the Philippines, Álvaro Jara Bucarey. (Photo courtesy of DFA-OPCD Maria Vanessa Ubac)