Australia-Philippine Partnership at the Australia Day Reception
On January 21, ANZCHAM had the privilege of being part of the Australia Day Reception organized by the Australian Embassy in the Philippines. This annual celebration serves as a heartfelt reminder of the strong and enduring partnership between Australia and the Philippines, and as a Gold Sponsor, ANZCHAM is proud to support such a meaningful event that highlights the ties between our two nations.
The evening was an inspiring gathering of leaders, partners, and friends from various sectors, to reflect on the achievements of the Australia-Philippines relationship and its promising future. Australian Ambassador to the Philippines, H.E. HK Yu, highlighted the opportunities ahead, saying:
“next year will be another exciting year for the Australia Philippine relationship, as the Philippines take on the ASEAN chair role; Australia and the Philippines will be marking up 80 years of diplomatic relations, pretty impressive. This will create plenty of opportunities for us to work even more closely together towards our shared future.”
Undersecretary Maria Theresa Lazaro, Undersecretary for Bilateral Relations and ASEAN Affairs, echoed the Ambassador’s sentiments, highlighting the milestones of the Australia-Philippines partnership. She noted that bilateral trade between the two nations reached $2.8 billion in 2024 and continues to grow through agreements such as the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement. She also acknowledged the strong people-to-people ties, with nearly 35,000 Filipino students studying in Australia and 400,000 Filipinos calling Australia home.
We are proud to support the enduring friendship between Australia and the Philippines and look forward to the exciting opportunities that lie ahead as we celebrate 80 years of diplomatic relations in the coming year. Mabuhay!
