Embassy of Sweden in Manila

31/07/2026

Congratulations to the Swedish Air Force for 100 years of safeguarding from the skies! 🛫

The Swedish Air Force celebrated its centennial in style in Stockholm with a spectacular flyover of approximately 50 military aircraft, with the iconic JAS Gripen jets forming the number "100" from above. 💯

The celebration culminates on August 22-23 with the Air Show at Malmen in Linköping.

Let’s learn more about the Swedish Air Forces’ incredible work and contributions through their commemorative book, available in Swedish and English. More information is in the comment links!



📸

30/07/2026

👋💐 Au revoir, vaarwel, and viszlát!
It’s never goodbye, but see you again!

Ambassador Anna Ferry hosted a heartfelt farewell lunch in honor of three esteemed colleagues and friends: H.E. Marie Fontanel, Ambassador of France; H.E. Titanilla Tóth, Ambassador of Hungary; and H.E. Marielle Geraedts; Ambassador of the Netherlands.

Beyond their diplomatic work, these ambassadors have shared a commitment to supporting Filipino artisans and craftspeople. As a tribute to this shared advocacy, they were presented with handwoven purses from a local Filipino brand as farewell gifts.

Guest of Honor Secretary of National Defense Gilberto C. Teodoro Jr. also joined the lunch and took part in a warm exchange of conversations and reflections.


Embassy of France to the Philippines and Micronesia
Embassy of Hungary in the Philippines
Embassy of the Netherlands in the Philippines

📸 Fred Abuda Jr., Department of National Defense - Philippines

30/07/2026

Happy Friendship Day from the Nordic Embassies in Manila! ❤️🤍💙💛

29/07/2026

During his visit to the Philippines, Swedish Minister of Defence Dr. Pål Jonson and his delegation stepped back in time through a visit to the historic San Agustin Church in Intramuros, Manila.

Built in 1607, San Agustin Church is the oldest stone church in the Philippines and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Having miraculously survived earthquakes and the devastation of World War II, it remains a powerful symbol of resilience and faith. It also houses the tomb of Miguel López de Legazpi, founder of the first Spanish settlement in Manila.

The Swedish delegation appreciated the opportunity to learn more about the Philippines’ rich history and extended their warm thanks to the guides whose insights brought the church’s stories to life.

Places like San Agustin remind us of the value of preserving and sharing our heritage.

Have you visited a historic site in Sweden or the Philippines? Which one left the biggest impression on you? Tell us in the comments! 👇

National Commission for Culture and the Arts

29/07/2026

Har du koll på vilka datum som gäller inför valet? Du hittar all information på ambassadernas hemsidor och på val.se.

29/07/2026

Ambassador Anna Ferry, along with H.E. Massimo Santoro, Ambassador of the European Union to the Philippines and H.E. Saija Nurminen, Ambassador of Finland to the Philippines; paid a courtesy call on National Security Adviser Eduardo S.L. Oban Jr.

Their meeting was an opportunity to reaffirm the EU and the Philippines’ longstanding partnership and to highlight joint priorities such as regional security, international cooperation, and the promotion of a rules-based international order.

24/07/2026

𝗦𝘄𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗱𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗔𝗦𝗘𝗔𝗡 𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗺𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗗𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿’𝘀 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀

Manila, 24 July 2026 – Sweden today formally acceded to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC), marking an important step in Sweden’s growing engagement with ASEAN and its member states.

Minister for Defence Pål Jonson signed Sweden’s Instrument of Accession during a ceremony in Manila, underscoring Sweden’s support for ASEAN’s central role in promoting regional stability and rules-based cooperation.

As a new High Contracting Party to the TAC, Sweden congratulated the Philippines on its ASEAN Chairship in 2026, in the lead-up to next year’s 50th anniversary of ASEAN-EU dialogue relations.

“We look forward to further engaging with ASEAN and its member states across areas of common interest, including trade, security, defence, the green and digital transitions, science and technology. You can count on Sweden as your long-term partner,” said Minister Jonson.

During the High-Level Conference marking the TAC’s 50th anniversary, Minister Jonson participated in the session dedicated to Enhancing Maritime Security and Promoting Maritime Cooperation. Sweden and the Philippines share a commitment to a free, open and rules-based Indo-Pacific. Sweden’s accession to the Treaty provides a stronger foundation for deepening cooperation in support of peace, stability and sustainable development across the region.

𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝘄𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗻’𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗼-𝗣𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰

The Philippine Air Force rendered arrival honours to Minister Jonson upon his second visit to Manila. His itinerary started with a wreath laying ceremony at the Rizal Monument.

Minister Jonson had a bilateral meeting with Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro Jr. for discussions on the growing defence and security partnership between Sweden and the Philippines. He also visited the Philippine Navy, the Philippine Coast Guard, and had engagements with Special Envoy for Disaster Risk Reduction and Management and the National Security Council. Other senior members of the Swedish delegation visited the National Defense College of the Philippines. Together, these engagements reflected the breadth of Sweden’s dialogue with Philippine defence and security institutions.

Sweden is strengthening its defence cooperation and engagement in the Indo-Pacific, recognising the region’s geopolitical significance and its role in maintaining global security. The Philippines remains a key focus of this engagement, due to shared values and similar strategic challenges that drive a long-term defence and security partnership between the two countries. The Minister’s visit reflects Sweden’s Indo-Pacific defence policy direction, which focuses on strengthening defence relations and cooperation on materiel, innovation and technology.

Sweden takes a whole-of-society approach to defence, including cooperation with actors in disaster response and healthcare. In line with this approach, Minister Jonson also paid a visit to the Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC), where he led the announcement of a collaboration between Team Sweden and VMMC to advance cancer care and accelerate the digital transformation of healthcare delivery.

Photo credits ASEAN 2026 PH Department of National Defense - Philippines

24/07/2026

𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗦𝘄𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗩𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗠𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗛𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

As Sweden and the Philippines deepen their partnership across innovation and public service, Team Sweden and Veterans Memorial Medical Center announced on 23 July a new collaboration to advance cancer care and accelerate the digital transformation of healthcare delivery. The announcement was made during the visit of the Swedish Minister of Defence, Pål Jonson, to Manila and is endorsed by the Secretary of National Defense, Gilberto C. Teodoro, Jr. The initiative forms part of the Sweden–Philippines Strategic Partnership in Cancer Care bringing together Swedish innovation and Philippine healthcare leadership, to develop solutions that can benefit patients across the country.

Minister Jonson also toured the VMMC and Exhibits with Usec. Pablo M. Lorenzo, Undersecretary for Civil, Veterans & Reserve Affairs (USCVRA), Department of National Defense (DND) and Dr. Peter Paul Reuben G. Galvez, Director IV, VMMC.

“Security is ultimately about people,” said Minister Jonson. “Societies are stronger when they can care for their citizens, support those who have served their country, and leverage innovation to meet future challenges.”

“Through this partnership, we are bringing innovative approaches to early cancer detection and hospital digitalisation to Veterans Memorial Medical Center, helping to improve health outcomes and strengthen care for veterans,” said H.E. Anna Ferry, Ambassador of Sweden to the Philippines.

𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘇𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the Philippines, and cases are too often diagnosed at late stages, when treatment options are limited. Addressing this is a stated priority for VMMC, and the partnership will explore how Swedish and international expertise can support earlier detection of lung cancer, including approaches that draw on AI-assisted analysis of imaging already performed in routine care, without additional scans, equipment, or disruption to existing patient pathways.

According to Dr. Peter Paul Galvez, Director IV, VMMC, “Earlier detection means earlier treatment. It means more of our heroes diagnosed in time—when care is gentler, when recovery is swifter, and when lives can still be saved.”

The partnership also aims to support the digitalisation of hospital operations. Drawing on Sweden’s extensive experience in digital healthcare, the partnership will explore how Sweden can support VMMC’s ambition to become a leading digitally enabled public hospital, improving patient experience, clinical decision-making and operational efficiency.

Photos courtesy of Department of National Defense - Philippines, Veterans Memorial Medical Center

24/07/2026

WATCH: Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson's interview with ANC 24/7 Headstart on ties with PH, geopolitical developments

🔗https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6wDskBoWRM

Headstart (July 24, 2026): Katrina Domingo talks to Swedish Defense...

23/07/2026

The Minister of Defence of Sweden, Dr. Pål Jonson and Philippine Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro Jr. had a meeting today, building on the Sweden and the Philippines’ deepening bilateral relations.