PH-France visiting forces agreement gets Senate approval

The Senate approved on third and final reading a resolution concurring in the ratification of a Status of Visiting Forces Agreement (SOVFA) with France on Thursday, October 8.

Senate Resolution No. 650, which establishes a formal legal framework for visiting military forces between the two nations, passed with 17 affirmative votes, zero negative votes, and no abstentions.

The agreement marks a historic milestone, making France the first European nation to enter into such a pact with the Philippines. It adds France to an exclusive list of global partners with active defense access frameworks, including the United States, Australia, Japan, Canada, and New Zealand.

"Next year we will be celebrating 80 years of bilateral ties with France," said Majority Leader Juan Miguel "Migz" F. Zubiri, the measure's author.

"Let our concurrence be a symbolic step towards a strengthened friendship with France and the European Union, and a concrete step forward towards stronger defense capabilities for the Philippines."

The treaty creates a reciprocal legal protocol governing the entry and presence of military forces during joint exercises and capacity-building operations.

Beyond tactical cooperation, the agreement is expected to modernize national defense through exposure to French military manufacturing, shipbuilding, and maritime infrastructure.

Zubiri highlighted France’s consistent support for international law, noting its defense of the 2016 arbitral ruling on the West Philippine Sea and its commitment to freedom of navigation under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

"As political conflicts continue to divide the world, it becomes more important that we form stronger alliances and ties with like-minded democracies such as France," Zubiri added.