Philippine Embassy in Chile, Philippine Space Agency, and Universidad de Chile's Department of Astronomy Explore Collaboration in Space and Astronomy

Representatives from the government and academe meet online on 7 April 2025 to discuss space cooperation

SANTIAGO 23 April 2025 — The Philippine Embassy in Chile, the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA), and the Department of Astronomy of Universidad de Chile held an online meeting to explore potential cooperation in space science and technology. Agencies and institutions were represented by Ambassador Celeste Vinzon-Balatbat of the Philippine Embassy in Chile, Deputy Director General Dr. Gay Perez of the Philippine Space Agency, and Department Chair Dr. Ricardo Muñoz of the Department of Astronomy of Universidad de Chile.

The three offices discussed concrete ways where the Philippines and Chile can initiate cooperation on research, knowledge sharing, educational exchange, and establishing formal agreements in the near future.

“We see potentials for leveraging Chile’s comparative advantage in astronomy and establishing linkages with Chile’s scientific community,” stated Ambassador Celeste Vinzon-Balatbat, as she highlighted the Philippines’s growing interest in space science and the strategic importance of international partnerships in advancing the country's space capabilities.

PhilSA representatives likewise outlined the agency's mandate and ongoing initiatives, emphasizing the potential for collaboration with Chile's established astronomical community. Of particular interest to PhilSA were academic exchanges

and graduate / post-doctoral study programs, collaboration in research, and sharing of scientific data.

The Department of Astronomy of Universidad de Chile, renowned for its research and access to cutting-edge astronomical facilities, expressed enthusiasm for the proposed collaboration.

Both the PhilSA and Universidad de Chile agreed to exchange focal points and move forward with a technical workshop, to be held possibly in May 2025, to identify specific areas where both institutions can work together.

The two institutions also agreed to discuss further the possible participation of Universidad de Chile in the first Space Science and Astronomy Research Conference in August 2025 in Manila.

The online meeting, organized and initiated by the Philippine Embassy in Chile, is part of the Embassy’s efforts to promote various aspects of Philippine-Chile relations, including space cooperation. END

For more information, visit https://www.santiagope.dfa.gov.ph or https://www.facebook.com/PHinChile.