Overview of Philippines-Singapore Relations
The diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Singapore were formally established on 16 May 1969. This year marks the 55th anniversary of Philippines-Singapore bilateral relations.
To mark the 55th anniversary of enduring partnership between the two countries, Philippine Secretary for Foreign Affairs Enrique A. Manalo and Singapore Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan officially launched the commemorative logo of the milestone anniversary on 18 April 2024, during the official visit to the Philippines of the latter.
Philippines-Singapore bilateral relations have grown from strength to strength in many key areas including trade and investment, security and defense cooperation, cultural exchanges and people-to-people relations.
Over the years, there have been several high-level exchanges of visits between the two countries. Notable visits for this year alone, in celebration of the 55th year anniversary of diplomatic ties include the State Visit of Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam to the Philippines on 15-17 August 2024; the official visit of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s on 31 May 2024 to serve as keynote speaker in the 21st Shangri-La Dialogue, the working visit of Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan to the Philippines and Introductory Visit of Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff General Romeo S. Brawner, both in April 2024.
The Philippines and Singapore defense and military officials regularly interact through meetings, training and exchanges. The Philippines also heads the Counter-Terrorism Information Facility (CTIF) located at the Changi Naval Base this 2024.
At the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue in 2023, the Philippines and Singapore signed the Arrangement between the Department of National Defense of the Republic of the Philippines and the Ministry of Defence of Singapore Concerning the Conduct of Education, Training Assistance and Support Activities on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR). In July 2024, the Philippines and Singapore signed an agreement to deepen defense cooperation in areas of mutual interest.
The Philippines’ economic partnership with Singapore continues to grow and expand. Singapore remains one of the Philippines’ most significant trade and investment partners. In 2023, Singapore was the 8th largest trading partner of the Philippines, at US$10.6 billion in trade. It is our 6th export market (out of 205), and 7th import supplier (out of 221). Singapore was also the second highest source of Net Foreign Direct Investment in 2023 amounting to US$ 182.65 million, and the second largest source of OFW remittances last year with US$ 2.36 billion.
On 19 September 2024, the Philippine Embassy successfully held the 4th Philippines-Singapore Business and Investment Summit (PSBIS), participated in by the Philippines economic Ministers, to highlight the potential of the Philippines as a strategic trade partner and emerging investment destination.
On 29 April 2022, the Philippine Chamber of Commerce in Singapore (PhilChamSG) was registered with the Registry of Societies. The creation of the PhilChamSG is expected to boost trade and investment among the Philippines, Singapore, and ASEAN member states, with the chamber ready to provide information, facilitate connections, and empower joint entrepreneurial success for businesses.
An estimated 200,000 Filipinos live and work in Singapore and actively contribute to the economic development of both the Philippines and Singapore. Approximately 60% of Filipinos in Singapore are professionals and skilled workers, while the rest are employed as household service workers.
Singapore is the Philippines’ ninth top source of tourist arrivals in 2023 at 149,230.
In August 2024, The Philippine Embassy launched the pioneering ebook on trailblazing Filipino entrepreneurs in Singapore entitled “Making a Mark on the Little Red Dot: Trailblazing Filipino Entrepreneurs in Singapore”. The eBook features the life-stories of twenty-five Filipinos who have not only excelled and succeeded as entrepreneurs in Singapore, but have literally blazed new trails in the field of entrepreneurship.
In September 2024, the Philippine Embassy in Singapore, in collaboration with the Gardens by the Bay, unveiled the Gardens by the Bahay Kubo: A Fiesta of Orchids, the newest orchid display at the Cloud Forest. The vibrant exhibit, running from 16 September to January 2025, is set against the backdrop of the bahay kubo, the traditional Filipino stilt house, surrounded by stunning Philippine natural landscapes and cultural displays.
The Informal Consultations on the Philippines-Singapore Action Plan (IC-PSAP) is the primary bilateral mechanism by which the Philippines and Singapore review the implementation of the Philippines-Singapore Action Plan. PSAP was established by former President Fidel V. Ramos and Singaporean Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong in 1998 as a consolidated framework for strengthened bilateral cooperation in various fields of interest beneficial to both sides. Since its creation, six (6) IC-PSAPs have been convened alternately in Manila and in Singapore to assess developments in bilateral relations and identify ways to further enhance cooperation in various areas. The 6th ICPSAP was hosted by the Philippines in Manila in April 2024.
The Philippines and Singapore also convene annually the Defense Policy Dialogue (DPD). The DPD serves as a working-level bilateral dialogue platform that aims to exchange views on regional security developments and review the overall bilateral defense relations between the Philippines and Singapore. The last 7th DPD was held in Singapore in September 2024.
- Joint Communique on the Recruitment of Filipino Healthcare Workers, 2022
- Arrangement on Cooperation in the Counter-Terrorism Information Facility (CTIF), 2022
- MOU to collaborate on Business Opportunities in the Development of New Clark City, 2022
- MOU on Cooperation in Personal Data Protection, 2022
- MOU on Water Collaboration, 2022
- MOU between the Department of National Defense of the Republic of the Philippines (DND) and the Ministry of Defence of Singapore Concerning the Conduct of Education, Training Assistance and Support Activities on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief, 2023
- MOU between the Philippines and Singapore on Defense Cooperation, 2024
- MOU on Carbon Credits Collaboration, 2024
- MOU on the Deployment of Filipino Healthcare Workers, 2024
