For Immediate Release / 3 November 2025
PRESS STATEMENT | Migrante Canada
The Philippines–Canada Status of Visiting Forces Agreement (SOFVA): A Threat to Philippine Sovereignty and Peace
The signing of the Status of Visiting Forces Agreement (SOFVA) between Canada and the Philippines is a dangerous pact that deepens foreign military intervention and threatens Philippine sovereignty under the guise of “regional security.”
The SOFVA allows Canadian troops to enter, train, and operate on Philippine soil, expanding the militarization of our homeland. The SOFVA insults Philippine sovereignty with foreign military presence on our land and waters. This agreement is no different from the lopsided agreements made by the Philippine state with the United States, Japan, and Australia that transform the Philippines into a forward base for imperialist powers competing for dominance in the Asia-Pacific.
In April 2025, Canada participated in the 2025 Philippine Balikatan war games, the largest joint military exercises in the Philippines to date, together with other US allies. It is a dangerous escalation of the tensions in the Indo-Pacific region and nothing short of their war preparations against China.
“This agreement does not protect the Filipino people; it protects foreign interests,” said Migrante Canada’s Vice Chairperson Javier Jardeleza. “While Canada and the Marcos Jr. regime frame the deal as ‘defence cooperation,’ the truth is it will only intensify militarization, state repression, and the risk of the Philippines being dragged into another imperialist war.”
The SOFVA exposes the hypocrisy of the Canadian government. While Canada presents itself as a promoter of peace, it is complicit in global arms trade, extractive mining, and the exploitation of migrant workers. It legitimizes the involvement of Canadian troops in military exercises that are part of the Philippine state’s counter-insurgency program. Chris Sorio, Secretary General of Migrante Canada declared that “true solidarity from Canada should mean supporting Filipino workers and peasants, not sending soldiers and warships.”
The Marcos Jr. regime prioritizes military partnerships over urgent domestic needs and deliberately abandons the needs and interests of the Filipino people. While the regime unashamedly pours billions into joint military exercises and defence cooperation, Filipino farmers remain landless, workers underpaid, and communities devastated by corruption and neglect.
Migrante Canada stands with the Filipino people, peasants, workers, Indigenous communities, youth and students, and other sectors who continue to fight against foreign intervention and for national sovereignty, genuine agrarian reform, and genuine peace.
Migrante Canada calls on overseas Filipinos to oppose the SOFVA, reject militarization, and to demand accountability from both the Philippine and Canadian governments.
The Filipino people do not need more foreign troops. We need justice, land, and livelihood.
From Canada to the Philippines, Migrante Canada says: NO, to the SOFVA! YES, to sovereignty, peace, and people’s rights!
For Reference:
Christopher Sorio, Secretary General
Migrante Canada
#JunkSOFVA#NoToForeignTroops#SovereigntyNotSubservience#MigranteCanada