Quezon City, February 19 (AseanAll)  — The Department of National Defense (DND) of the Philippines, led by Undersecretary Angelito M. De Leon, Officer-in-Charge of the Office of the Undersecretary for Information Systems and Cybersecurity, met with Canada’s Senior Official for Cyber Security, Mr. Sami Khoury of the Communications Security Establishment (CSE), on February 18, 2026, at Camp Aguinaldo to further strengthen collaboration in the cyber and information domains.

The engagement built on the growing defense partnership between the Philippines and Canada, is highlighted by the signing of the Philippines–Canada Status of Visiting Forces Agreement (SOVFA) in November 2025.

During the meeting, De Leon cited previous cyber engagements and expressed appreciation for Canada’s continued collaboration. He also conveyed the DND’s interest in learning from Canada’s best practices in cyber governance, operational coordination, and resilience-building mechanisms to enhance national cyber capabilities.

Discussions focused on key areas of convergence, including the regular exchange of strategic cyber threat landscape, updates on evolving cyber threats, and institutionalizing joint training programs and professional exchanges.

The officials also discussed sustaining cooperation through the regular convening of an Annual Philippines–Canada Cyber Working Group to ensure continuity, alignment of priorities, and measurable outcomes. 

Both sides highlighted collaboration in regional and international platforms, including ASEAN initiatives, to promote a secure, open, interoperable, and rules-based cyberspace.

Mr. Khoury previously visited the DND on March 9, 2025, as part of a Canadian delegation led by Ambassador David Hartman to advance bilateral cyber cooperation and capacity-building efforts.