The Philippines and Israel on Sunday celebrated 65 years of friendship, cementing already warm and historic ties with increased interactions in agriculture, commerce, and development.
Last year, the two countries signed a number of agreements, ranging from a memorandum of understanding to begin joint activities in trade and investment to a cooperation agreement in technological innovation, research, and development.
The "milestone" Philippine-Israel Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement was also signed in June 2022, signaling the two countries' commitment to creating an environment conducive to investment in areas such as water management, agriculture, cybersecurity, defense industry, smart transportation, manufacturing, and diamond industry development, among others.
Ilan Fluss, Israel's Ambassador to Manila, sees the field of innovation as an area where the two countries could further develop their economic relations in the future.
Fluss believes that as an innovation hub, Israel could help the Philippines build a stronger startup industry by providing training and guidance on "internationalizing" Filipino startups.
In 2022, Israel will have over 6,000 active startups, making it the world leader in startups per capita.
On the other hand, Israeli firms could enter the Philippines and provide solutions that address challenges unique to the country.
The friendship between Israel and the Philippines is based on deep historical and moral ties, with Manila welcoming 1,300 Holocaust survivors in the late 1930s, long before Israel became a state.
