Philippine-Brazil Relations

Background

  • Official diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Brazil were established in July 1946.  
  • On 16 September 1965, Ambassador S. Carlos Tan opened the first Philippine chancery in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil’s former capital. The Philippine mission transferred to Brasilia on 01 September 1973.
  • Notable visits of Philippine officials to Brazil in the past few years:
    • Through the years, there have been various notable visits of high-ranking officials from the Philippines to Brazil and vice versa, highlighted by no less than the Official Visit to Brazil of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on 23-25 June 2009. The official delegation included Foreign Affairs Secretary (Cabinet Minister) Alberto G. Romulo, Trade and Industry Secretary Peter Favila, Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap, Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes, Social Welfare Secretary Esperanza Cabral and Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago. 

    • Before President Arroyo’s visit, Foreign Secretary Romulo was in Brazil as the Head of the Philippine Delegation to the 3rd FEALAC Ministerial Meeting in Brasilia in August 2007 while Metro Manila Development Authority Chairman Bayani Fernando participated in a World Bank Study Tour on Urban Planning and Management.

    • Other Philippine government officials have visited Brazil to participate in various study visits, international conferences and meetings.

    • Undersecretary for Policy Evan Garcia led the Philippine Delegation at the 3rd Bilateral Consultation Meeting, held in Brasilia on 25 August 2014. 

    • The Philippines' Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) Administrator Dr. Maximo Q. Mejia, Jr. visited Brazil on 14-15 June 2015 to meet with Brazilian officials in connection with his candidature for the post of Secretary General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
    • Philippine officials visited Brazil on 04-12 July 2015 to study the Fome Zero (Zero Hunger) Strategy which largely reduced malnutrition and poverty in Brazil. The delegation was led by Rep. Ibarra Gutierrez III and was composed of other 7 members, namely, Rep. Maria Leonor “Leni” Gerona-Robredo, DAR Undersecretary Rosalina Bistoyong, DSWD Assistant Secretary Camilo Gudmalin and Ms. Fely Domingo-Parcon, Legislative Committee Secretary. Ms. Aurea Miclat-Teves of FIAN and Mr. Ireneo Cerilla of PAKISAMA represented the civil society.
    • A Philippine Delegation of Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Biosafety Committee members came to Brazil for a Study Visit in Brasilia and Sao Paolo from 25 July to 02 August 2015. The delegation was composed of Dr. Flerida A. Carino, Dr. Leonardo A. Gonzales, and Ms. Julieta Fe L. Estacio of the DOST’s Biosafety Committee.
    • Ms. Ana Theresa B. Del Rosario-Buen, Director of Procurement Office of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas was in Brasilia to attend the III Meeting of Central Bank Procurement and Service Hiring Managers on 02 September 2016.
    • Brigadier General Arnold Andales led the Post Qualification (PQ) Team from the Bids and Awards Committee of the Department of National Defense (DND-BAC) in connection with its bidding for bullet cartridges which the Brazilian company Companhia Brasileira de Cartuchos won. The delegation visited Brasilia and Sao Paulo on 28 and 29 July 2016, respectively.
    • Post Qualification (PQ) Team from Department of National Defense – Bids and Awards Committee (DND-BAC) headed by Assistant Secretary Josue S. Garvaza, Jr. met with Colonel Carlos Alberto Ferreira dos Santos, Sub-Director the Controlled Products Inspection Directorate (Diretoria de Fiscalização de Produtos Controlados or DFPC in Portuguese) of Brazil on 04 May 2017 at the DPFC Director’s Office, General Headquarters of the Brazilian Army, in Brasilia.
    • Another Post Qualification (PQ) inspection was held on 22 August 2017 at the DPFC Director’s Office, General Headquarters of the Brazilian Army, in Brasilia. The Team was headed by Director Marita I. Yoro from DND’s Office of the Assistant Secretary for Assessments and International Affairs from Department of National Defense – Bids and Awards Committee (DND-BAC) who met with the same official from DFPC.
    • Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol was in Brazil on 04-07 December 2017 for a Study Visit of the Brazilian Agriculture. His plan is to import Girolando cattle from Brazil for at least five years starting with 10,000 heads in 2018 to as high as 250,000 cows in 2022 to boost the Philippine cattle stock and improve its milk production.
  • Brazilian officials that visited the Philippines in the past few years:
    • People-to-people exchanges including EMBRAPA scientists doing research at the International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines and various Brazilian students studying in the Philippines through the Rotary Exchange Program, among others.
    • Arranjo Produtivo Local do Alcool (APLA) – Brazil Ethanol Cluster Executive Secretary Flavio Castelar visited the Philippines in early July 2011 to explore cooperation and investment opportunities in the biofuels sector.
    • Undersecretary General for Policy II, Ambassador Maria Edileuza Fontenele Reis came to the Philippines on 10 September 2010 for the 1st Bilateral Consultation Meeting of the Philippines and Brazil.
    • Deputy Director Alexandre Pontes Pontes of the Sanitary and Phytosanitary Negotiations of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply was Head of Delegation to the First Joint Committee Meeting between the Philippine Department of Agriculture and the Brazilian Agriculture Ministry on 28-30 April 2010.
    • Officials of Brazil’s Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply headed by Deputy Secretary Lino Colsera from the Secretariat for International Relations in Agribusiness visited Manila and met with Department of Agriculture (DA) officials on 07 May 2009.
    • A delegation from Brazil attended the Global Forum on Migration and Development led by Director Mitzi Gurgel Valente da Costa from the Department of Immigration and Legal Affairs of the Ministry of External Relations participated in the Global Forum on Migration and Development held on 27-30 October 2008 in Manila.

Bilateral Agreements Signed

  • Visa Waiver Agreement, signed on 25 October 1973
  • Convention on the Avoidance of Double Taxation, signed on 29 September 1983
  • Memorandum of Understanding for the Establishment of a Mechanism for Bilateral Consultations, signed on 20 September 2006
  • Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in Agriculture, signed on 24 June 2009
  • Memorandum of Understanding on Bio-energy Cooperation, signed on 24 June 2009
  • Agreement on Remunerated Employment of Dependants of Diplomatic, Consular, Administrative and Technical Personnel, signed on 24 June 2009
  • Memorandum of Understanding on Technical Cooperation between PADCC and Embrapa, signed on 24 June 2009
  • Memorandum of Understanding on Technical Cooperation, signed on 23 August 2011
  • Memorandum of Understanding on Agrarian Reform, signed on 23 August 2011
  • Joint Declaration between the Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of the Philippines and the Minister of Foreign Relations of the Federative Republic of Brazil on Cooperation Against the International Drug Problem and Connected Crimes

Contact

EMBAIXADA DAS FILIPINAS EM BRASILIA

+55 61 3224-8694

Embassy Hotline:
+55 61 9 9389-3042  

Email Address:
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Location

EMBAIXADA DAS FILIPINAS EM BRASILIA

SEN 801, Av. das Nações, Lote 1 - Asa Norte - Brasilia/DF - Brazil  CEP: 70800-910

Office Hours

Mondays thru Fridays
9:00 AM to 6:00 PM

Development