OTTAWA, CANADA, 25 November 2014 - The Philippines and Canada held the Second Meeting of the Joint Commission on Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) on 24 -25 November 2014 in Ottawa, Canada. The Philippines delegation was headed by Undersecretary Evan P. Garcia of the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Canadian Delegation by Assistant Deputy Minister for Asia Pacific Susan Gregson of the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development.

Philippine bilateral relations with Canada have followed an upward trajectory over the last 65 years, supported by expanding trade and investments, increasing official exchanges and people-to-people ties, stronger development cooperation as well as growing political and security relations at the bilateral, regional and multilateral levels.

At its Second Meeting, the JCBC looked into fresh prospects for cooperation, particularly in education, public private partnership (PPP), agriculture, and disaster risk management. Both sides hope to make progress in these areas in the coming months.

The Meeting also considered frameworks that would spur future actions, namely the MAF (Mutual Accountability Framework) for the Philippines as a Country of Focus for Canada's development assistance, the Philippines' priority status under the GMAP (Global Markets Action Plan), and MOUs on security cooperation as well as occupational health. A Joint Plan of Action for education cooperation between the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE) was also signed.

Canada is a close friend and active partner who has stood by the Philippines for the past six decades. Canada was among the first countries to offer humanitarian assistance to the Philippines in the aftermath of recent natural disasters that hit the country including during typhoons Haiyan and Glenda and the Bohol earthquake. Canada has also provided humanitarian assistance in post-conflict areas as well as support for the Philippines' peace process and the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro, particularly in the setting up of the Independent Policing Commission for the Bangsamoro.

The Second JCBC Meeting was fruitful and constructive. Discussions were comprehensive and the exchange of views frank and open.

The JCBC was formed in 2012 as a mechanism to regularly review progress in bilateral cooperative activities and explore opportunities for future collaboration. The first JCBC was held in Manila on 05 February 2013.

Also in attendance during the Second JCBC Meeting were Philippine Ambassador to Canada Petronila Garcia, the Heads of Post of the Philippine Consulates General in Toronto and Vancouver and other officials of the Philippine Embassy in Ottawa; NEDA Deputy Director General Rolando Tungpalan; CHED Commissioner Minella Alarcon; and representatives from the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Department of Trade and Industry, the Department of Labor and Employment, the Department of Agriculture, the National Economic and Development Authority and the Commission on Higher Education.

Prior to the Second JCBC Meeting, Undersecretary Evan Garcia participated in the Sixth Annual Halifax International Security Forum on 22 November 2014 in Nova Scotia. The annual Halifax International Security Forum brings informed leaders from government, business and academe, among others, in a informal and interactive setting, to consider international security threats that lead towards building democracy, creating opportunity and promoting peace.