Manuel Mogato | October 12, 2026
MANILA — The European Union has donated more than 1 billion pesos in security assistance to the Philippines, the first assistance package to Asia, to boost maritime domain awareness and cybersecurity.
Benedikta von Seherr-Thoss, the European Union’s managing director for peace, security and defense, announced the security assistance during the second EU-Philippines security and defense dialogue in Manila.
In a statement, the EU said 15 million euros in security assistance to the Philippines “demonstrates the EU’s strong commitment to promoting stability and security in the region.”
During the same dialogue, the two sides “reaffirmed their shared commitment to enhancing alignment on multilateral fora to uphold the rules-based international order.”
“The two sides engaged in substantive discussions on regional security dynamics, with a particular focus on maritime security, including critical maritime infrastructure and freedom of navigation, emphasising the importance of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)” the EU statement read.
The two sides also discussed cybersecurity, hybrid threats, counterterrorism, and foreign information manipulation without mentioning China.
The EU-Philippines security dialogue began in June 2025 after EU High Representative Kaja Kallas’ high-level visit to Manila. The two sides first met in Brussels.