The Philippines and India have formally elevated their bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership, a move hailed by Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. as a crucial step toward shared resilience and regional stability amid rising geopolitical tensions.

The announcement came during President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s official visit to India, where he and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a new level of cooperation between the two nations.

According to Teodoro, this deepening alliance draws on longstanding cultural and civilizational ties and is aimed at confronting common challenges — especially in defense and maritime security.

“It is only natural to throw back to our civilizational ties and our people-to-people exchanges, and to rekindle these into mutual resilience, growth, and helping each other grow,” Teodoro said in an interview with an Indian media outlet on Thursday.

“There are a lot of lessons that we can learn from India and vice versa, and it is only natural that we leverage on these similarities and kinships in order to move forward for the future generations,” he added, highlighting a growing defense relationship between both nations.

Teodoro also noted the recent successful completion of the first-ever bilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity (MCA) between the Philippine Navy and the Indian Navy. The MCA was recently held in Philippine territorial waters and comes as the two nations celebrate 75 years of diplomatic ties.

In line with this, the Philippines has also signed Terms of Reference for closer cooperation between the major services of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Indian Armed Forces. Teodoro said the agreement opens doors for deeper military collaboration, development of synergies, and capability sharing.

Discussing the Philippines’ acquisition of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile system from India as part of its AFP Modernization Program, Teodoro described the experience as "very enlightening," and affirmed its significance in the country’s evolving deterrence strategy.

He added that Manila and New Delhi are exploring ways to sustain and expand their defense partnership.

Shared stance on reg’l security

Against the backdrop of China’s increasing assertiveness in the West Philippine Sea and broader South China Sea (SCS), Teodoro reaffirmed the Philippines' rejection of Beijing’s expansive maritime claims, citing the 2016 Arbitral Award and international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

“We see ourselves, contrary to China's narrative, as a target of China's desire for dominance,” he said.

Drawing a parallel with India’s own border tensions with China, Teodoro stressed the importance of building credible defense capabilities.

“Now, India [has] overlapping land claims with China, and there have been some tensions,” he said. “It is very, very useful for us to learn from India's example – that there can be no soft power without hard power. Appeasement only breeds more hunger.”

Looking ahead, the defense chief expressed confidence that the newly established strategic partnership will not only benefit both countries but also contribute to a more stable and rules-based security environment in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.

“India will have a partner in advocating for, insofar as I'm concerned, a free, open security architecture that guarantees stable peace, not only in the Indo-Pacific, but also in the global arena,” he said.

“So, the strategic partnership that was entered into is filled with endless possibilities, and it is a legacy that we can leave to our successors to work on,” Teodoro pressed on.

The upgrade in ties signals a broader Philippine foreign policy push toward diversified and principle-based partnerships in the face of evolving regional security dynamics.