Philippine Embassy in Canada

AMBASSADOR CHAN-GONZAGA HIGHLIGHTS ECONOMIC SECURITY AND COLLECTIVE RESILIENCE AT THE CANADA-ASEAN SECURITY SYMPOSIUM

Ottawa, 01 June 2026 – Philippine Ambassador to Canada Jose Victor V. Chan-Gonzaga participated in the Third Annual Canada-ASEAN Security Symposium held in Ottawa on 26 May 2026 under the theme “Canada-ASEAN Security Alignment: The Case for Building Collective Resilience.” The symposium was organized by Canada-ASEAN Initiatives, the ASEAN Committee in Ottawa, the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, and the Telfer School of Management at the University of Ottawa.

The symposium brought together government officials, diplomats, academics, industry representatives, and policy experts to discuss opportunities for strengthening Canada-ASEAN security cooperation amid a complex geopolitical environment and evolving regional security challenges.

In his Opening Remarks, Ambassador Chan-Gonzaga underscored the growing importance of the ASEAN-Canada Strategic Partnership and emphasized the need to strengthen cooperation in support of a stable, open, and rules-based Indo-Pacific region. He highlighted the alignment between Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy and the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific, noting that ASEAN centrality remains essential to regional peace, stability, and prosperity.

Ambassador Chan-Gonzaga also outlined the Philippines’ priorities as ASEAN Chair for 2026 under the theme “Navigating Our Future, Together,” anchored on three strategic pillars: Peace and Security Anchors, Prosperity Corridors, and People Empowerment. He stressed that resilience today extends beyond traditional security concerns to include economic resilience, energy and food security, reliable supply chains, and sustainable development.

During the Ambassadors’ Panel on regional security, Ambassador Chan-Gonzaga underscored that economic and national security are mutually reinforcing and that building collective resilience requires closer cooperation among partners to address shared challenges. He highlighted opportunities for enhanced ASEAN-Canada collaboration in areas such as maritime security, cybersecurity, critical minerals, clean technology, disaster resilience, innovation, and supply chain security.

Ambassador Chan-Gonzaga also emphasized the importance of upholding international law, strengthening multilateral cooperation, and maintaining a rules-based international order. He noted that addressing today’s interconnected challenges requires a whole-of-society approach that places people at the center of regional cooperation efforts.

ASEAN and Canada have been Dialogue Partners since 1977 and are set to commemorate their 50th anniversary next year. Building on decades of cooperation and increasing convergence in economic, security, and development priorities, the two sides elevated their relationship to a Strategic Partnership in 2023. END