# Israel–Philippines relations

Israel–Philippines relations refers to the bilateral ties between the State of Israel and the Republic of the Philippines.
Full diplomatic relations between the two countries were realized upon the signing of the Treaty of Friendship on February 26, 1958. The Israeli embassy in Manila and the Philippine embassy in Tel Aviv both opened in 1962.

## History

More than a thousand of German and Austrian Jews escaped to the Philippines when no other country accepted them. The rescue strategy was decided while playing cards and smoking cigars by three men: President Manuel L. Quezon, Paul McNutt and Frieder family. President Quezon opened the country's doors to the fleeing refugees as "it was the right thing to do". McNutt, who was the American High Commissioner to the Philippines, jeopardized his career as he persuaded the US government to issue thousands of working visas for the Jews, while the Frieder brothers, provided jobs in their own cigar factory. He and his brothers also raised money for the Jews' transport to Manila and established shelters and schools.
The Philippines voted in favor of UN Resolution 181 recommending the partition of Palestine and the establishment of a Jewish State in 1947. The Philippines was among the 33 countries that supported the establishment of Israel and the only Asian country that voted for the resolution. Israel and the Philippines established full diplomatic relationships in 1957.
Embassies were opened in Tel-Aviv and Manila in 1962. In that same year, then-Minister of Foreign Affairs Golda Meir visited Manila and was received by President Diosdado Macapagal, who also visited Israel during his tenure as vice-president.
In 1997, the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding institutionalizing the bilateral political dialogue between the respective foreign ministries. The political dialogue is accompanied by cooperation in trade and economy, culture, technical assistance, science, academic exchanges, and tourism, among others.
On November 28, 2007, the Knesset honored the thirty-three countries that supported the UN Resolution 181 in celebration of the 60th anniversary of the State of Israel. The UN resolution, which marked January 27 as a yearly commemoration to honor the Holocaust's victims, was co-sponsored by the Philippines.
In October 2012, Vice President Jejomar Binay embarked on a five-day visit to Israel during which he met with President Shimon Peres in Jerusalem.
In September 2018, President Rodrigo Duterte was in Israel for a four-day visit, making him the first sitting Filipino president to visit the Jewish state. President Duterte sought to reaffirm the people-to-people ties between the two nations based on their significant shared history.

## Economic relations

Trade between Israel and the Philippines continues to grow but remains insignificant compared to Israel's trade industry with Europe and the Americas. Israel's exports to the Philippines remain higher in comparison to the Philippines' exports to Israel. Israeli exports amount to $248,448,918 while Filipino exports amount to $33,929,631 in 2007. The number one exports to each other by both countries are electronics.
In 2004, there were 37,155–50,000 Filipino workers in Israel.

## Cultural relations

In 2007, Sister Grace Galindez-Gupana, a Filipino businesswoman and supporter of Israel, financed the installation of a giant Israeli flag to honor 50 years of friendly relations between Israel and the Philippines.
In 2009, the Open Doors Monument was erected in the Holocaust Memorial Park in Rishon Lezion, Israel. It honored the role of the Philippine Commonwealth government under President Manuel L. Quezon in officially offering safe haven and issuing 10,000 visas to Jewish refugees fleeing the Nazi regime. This was done in coordination with US Commonwealth officials (including High Commissioner Paul V. McNutt and Lt. Col. Dwight D. Eisenhower) as well as the local Jewish-Filipino community. Between 1937 and 1941, approximately 1,200 to 1,500 Jewish refugees (mostly from Germany and Austria) were settled in government-provided housing communities in Marikina. Additional plans were made to increase the visas allocated to 100,000 and to allow the refugees to resettle in the then sparsely-populated island of Mindanao, but these could not be carried out due to the Japanese invasion of the Philippines in December 1941. Quezon's actions were notable because the Philippines was one of the few nations that unconditionally opened its doors to Jewish refugees. Quezon was also one of the few heads of state to openly condemn the Nazi persecution of Jews, prior to the outbreak of World War II.
The Philippine Fair is an annual event in Haifa. In July 2013, the two-day fair opened at the Castra mall, organized by the Philippine Embassy in Tel Aviv and the Municipality of Haifa. The fair features booths selling Filipino handicrafts and food, as well as a cultural program showcasing traditional Filipino music and dance. A photography exhibition, "Yesterday and Today: A Look at Philippines-Israel Relations through the Years," opened at the mall. Some of the images date to the Philippines’ “Open Door Policy" in the 1930s, when more than 1,200 European Jews fleeing the Holocaust were given a safe haven in the Philippines.

## Military ties

In January 2014, the Armed Forces of the Philippines agreed to purchase 28 Israeli armored vehicles.
In May 2018, the Philippine Navy purchased Spike-ER missiles from Rafael Advanced Defense Systems. These are the first surface-to-surface missiles to be mounted on Philippine Navy ships.
The Philippines is known to use a variety of Israeli weapons such as Israeli firearms like the Galil and TAR-21. The Soltam M-71 155 mm howitzer is used by the Philippine Army and Marines.
In 2023, it was revealed that Elbit Systems would supply the Philippine army with long-range maritime patrol aircraft equipped with advanced intelligence systems.
The Philippine Navy operates the Acero-class patrol gunboats based on Israel's Shaldag V-class patrol boats. It also uses Spike-NLOS, an Israeli fire-and-forget missile

## Aid to Philippines

MASHAV is Israel's international development cooperation program. It was launched in 1957 with the purpose of spreading knowledge and related technologies which helped in the country's rapid development.
Various MASHAV courses are being offered in the Philippines. Recently, the program offered new courses for the country which includes: International Training on Clean Technologies, Course on Developing and Organizing a Trauma System and MCS Organization, Feeding the Future: Food Safety and Technology in times of Global Change and Commercial Beekeeping in Modern Agriculture. Moreover, the program keeps its contacts with former course applicants for them to be part of the “ Shalom Club” –it serves as forum for all MASHAV alumni. There are over 70 shalom clubs worldwide in which the members are encouraged to participate in social and professional activities, to attend fund-raising events, lectures ranging from AIDS education and business management and exchange ideas about a certain issue. The embassy of Israel in Manila is a partner of the Shalom Club in the Philippines. Their goal is to seek human and sustainable development, as well as to improve bilateral relations of the two countries. The main activities conducted by the club are feeding programs and donation missions.
In November 2013, the strongest recorded tropical cyclone in history, Typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines. The Israeli government, after hearing the devastating news, immediately sent a team of 148-member from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) assisted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA). The government also reconstructed buildings, restored water supply, and set up a field hospital to provide immediate medical response such as delivery of babies, perform surgeries and treatment of more than 2,800 victims. They also conducted search and rescue operations and sent relief goods for the people affected by the disaster. Numerous organizations and institutions from Israel likewise helped the victims of the typhoon such as IsraAID (Israel forum for international Humanitarian Aid), Boys town Jerusalem, Israeli Relief Coalition and other volunteers from Israel has sent medical assistance to the victims.

## Agricultural cooperation

The Center for International Cooperation (MASHAV) and the Center for International Agricultural Development Cooperation (CINADCO) of Israel, together with Central Luzon State University (CLSU), Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), and Nueva Ecija Provincial Government of Philippines formed the PICAT Project on June 19, 2006. Its main purpose is to establish an agricultural training center that would stimulate better farm productivity, sustainability and profitability for the families in the region of Nueva Ecija, and then was launched in other provinces such as Bulacan, Tarlac, and Pampanga.

## Diaspora

As of 2013, an estimated number of 31,000 Filipinos are residing in Israel. Most of the Filipino migrants work as caregivers while a small portion works in hotels and restaurants. However, despite the close association of Filipinos being caregivers in Israel, Rose “Osang” Fostanes proved that Filipinos are talented and have so much in store. Osang came to Israel in 2008 to work as a caregiver. After six years of residing to the country, on January 14 of 2014, she won the first season of “X-Factor Israel” –this became possible with the enormous support given to her by the people of Israel. Furthermore, two documentary films focusing on Filipino workers based in Israel were shown in the Philippines and Israel –Transit and Paperdolls.“Transit” (2013) is a Philippine independent film about the challenges of Filipino families living outside the country, as well as the dilemma of identities of two Filipino children living in Israel. On the other hand, the film “Paperdolls” (2006) is a documentary film by Tomer Heymann, an Israeli award-winning filmmaker. The film is about a community of transvestite Filipinos who make a living in Israel as live-in care givers 6 days a week and as a group of drag performers on their free night –in which they are called “the paperdolls”.