The long and short of Phl-Brazil relation

Brazil established diplomatic relations with the Philippines in 1946, shortly after the country´s Independence.

The Philippines opened their embassy in Brazil in 1965; Brazil in Manila, 1970.

Bilateral agreements on double taxation, agricultural cooperation, cooperation between diplomatic academies, defense cooperation and partial visa waiver are in force.

In 2006, Brazil and the Philippines established a bilateral consultations mechanism. The 6th and last meeting took place in June 2023 in Manila.

In 2023, trade between Brazil and the Philippines reached $1.5 billion, of which $1.5 billion in Brazilian exports and $314 million in imports.

The Philippines is one of the 10 members of the Asean. In 2018, Brazil's trade with Asean countries surpassed $33.8 billion.

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 former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in June 2009, and Vice President Diosdado Macapagal in 1960.

Before Arroyo's visit, former Foreign Secretary Alberto 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 in Brasilia in 2014.

Marina Administrator Dr. Maximo Q. Mejia Jr. visited Brazil in 2015 to meet with Brazilian officials in connection with his candidature for the post of Secretary General of the International Maritime Organization.

Philippine officials visited Brazil in 2015 to study the Fome Zero (Zero Hunger) Strategy, which largely reduced malnutrition and poverty in Brazil.

A Philippine delegation of Department of Science and Technology Biosafety Committee members came to Brazil for a Study Visit in Brasilia and Sao Paolo in 2015.

Brigadier General Arnold Andales led the Post Qualification Team from the Bids and Awards Committee of the Department of National Defense in connection with its bidding for bullet cartridges which the Brazilian company Companhia Brasileira de Cartuchos won.

Another Post Qualification inspection was held in 2017 at the headquarters of the Brazilian Army in Brasilia.

Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol was in Brazil in 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.

In 2008, Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs Edsel T. Custodio visited Brazil as head of the Philippine delegation to the 1st Mercosur-Asean Ministerial Meeting. Also in that year, the minister of Social Welfare and Development Esperanza Cabral visited Brazil to take part in the 3rd World Congress against Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents.

In 2006, Minister of Agriculture Domingo Panganiban visited Brazil on the occasion of the G20 Agriculture High Level Meeting; Minister of Agrarian Reform Nasser Pangandaman, International Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development; Minister of the Environment Angelo Reyes, 8th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity.

Brazilian officials also visited the Philippines in the past few years.

There were 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.

Arranjo Produtivo Local do Alcool — 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 2 Ambassador Maria Edileuza Fontenele Reis came to the Philippines on in 2010 for the 1st Bilateral Consultation Meeting of the Philippines and Brazil.

Deputy Director Alexandre 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 in 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 officials in 2009.

A delegation from Brazil attended the Global Forum on Migration and Development in October 2008 in Manila.