2026 Philippines Update - Sama-sama: The Philippines with Australia in a changing world
Description
Venue
IN-PERSON: Lecture Theatre 1 (HB1), Hedley Bull Building, ANU, 130 Garran Rd Acton ACT 2601
2026 Philippines Update - Sama-sama: The Philippines with Australia in a Changing World
This year we commemorate 80 years of diplomatic relations between Australia and the Philippines. The milestone comes at a time when the present and future of both countries are so clearly intertwined through the deepening of defence cooperation and strategic partnership, growing economic interdependence, and by a shared vision of regional peace and prosperity
The ANU Philippines Institute is proud to convene the 2026 Philippine Update conference to celebrate, as well as critically examine, how the Philippines navigates a changing world with Australia. Our programme will be led by a keynote lecture from former Philippine Ambassador to Australia Delia Albert who will offer reflections on the foreign policy agendas of the two countries and provide insights on how we can collectively address our current moment marked by rapid changes and reconfiguration of regional and global power.
The Update will also bring together leading experts from across the academy, government and civil society sectors from the Philippines and Australia. It will facilitate scholarly and policy dialogues to raise awareness on issues that define Australia-Philippine bilateral relations.
Our programme will include interactive sessions consisting of presentations and panel discussions on a range of issues relating to dynastic politics and democracy, the Philippines’ new upper-middle income status, Bangsamoro elections, and ‘Antipodean’ Philippine Studies among others.
Confirmed speakers to be announced.
Conference Program
- 8:30 am - 9:00 am
Day 1 - Registration
- 9:00 am - 9:30 am
Day 1 - Acknowledgement of Country, Welcome Remarks and Opening Address
- 9:30 am - 11:00 am
Day 1 - Panel 1. Philippine Foreign Policy
- 11:00 am - 11:30 am
Day 1 - Morning merienda break
- 11:30 am - 1:00 pm
Day 1 - Panel 2. Dynasties and ongoing political reforms
- 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Day 1 - Lunch
- 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm
Day 1 - Panel 3. The Philippines as Upper Middle-Income country: Economic implications
- 3:30 pm - 4:00 pm
Day 1 - Afternoon merienda break
- 4:00 pm - 4:30 pm
Day 1 - Closing remarks for Day 1
- 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm
Day 1 - Keynote Lecture on 80 years of Philippine-Australian Relations
- 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Day 1 - Cocktail Reception
- 8:30 am - 9:00 am
Day 2 - Registration
- 9:00 am - 9:30 am
Day 2 - Welcome and introduction to Day 2
- 9:30 am - 11:00 am
Day 2 - Panel 4. Health Update
- 11:00 am - 11:30 am
Day 2 - Morning merienda break
- 11:30 am - 1:00 pm
Day 2 - Panel 5. Science and Education for National Development
- 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Lunch
- 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm
Panel 6. BARMM Update
- 3:30 pm - 4:00 pm
Afternoon merienda break
- 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm
Keynote Panel: The Present and Future of ‘Antipodean’ Philippine Studies
- 5:30 pm - 6:00 pm
Closing Remarks
About the keynote speaker
Ambassador Delia Domingo Albert is the first woman career diplomat to become Secretary (Minister) of Foreign Affairs in Asia. She represented the Philippines in Switzerland, Romania, Hungary, the Federal Republic of Germany and the Commonwealth of Australia. As President of the United Nations Security Council in 2004, she introduced the agenda “The Role of Civil Society in Post-Conflict Peacebuilding”, highlighting the role of women as peace makers. She attended the University of the Philippines, the Institute of International Studies in Geneva, the Diplomatic Institute in Salzburg, Boston University Overseas in Bonn, the J.F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, among others. The Philippine Women’s University conferred on her Doctor of Humanities, honoris causa for building a gender-fair society, and she was awarded “Most Distinguished Alumna of the University of the Philippines” in 2012. For her meritorious and exceptional service to the country, she was conferred the Presidential Order of Sikatuna, rank of Datu. In 2004, she was given the title of “Bai-A-Rawatun sa Pilimpinas” for assisting Muslim women in their search for peace and development. She received the Knight’s Commander’s Cross of the Order of Merit with Star (BundesVerdienstKreuz) from the Federal Republic of Germany and the single award to celebrate 70 years of Philippine-Australia relations from the Australian government. In 2019, she was conferred with the Emperor’s Order of the Rising Sun Gold and Silver Star by the Government of Japan and in 2024, she was conferred with the National Order of Merit, in the Rank of Commander by the President of Romania. Ambassador Albert is a member of the advisory board of the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy in Berlin and the Global Summit of Women. She is the founding chair of ASEAN Society Philippines, Business and Professional Women Philippines (Makati Chapter), and Diwata: Women in Resource Development; adviser to the Filipina CEOs Circle; Member, Board of Trustees of the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation; Member, Global Foundation; Founding member of Amity Circle of Former Ministers of ASEAN and Asia; and the author of Women in Diplomacy: The Remarkable Ambassadors in the Philippine Foreign Service, Volumes I and II.
FAQs
- I cannot join in-person. Will the event be livestreamed?
No, there will not be a livestream. However, the event will be recorded, and the recording will be made publicly available in the weeks following the conference.
Tickets for good, not greed Humanitix dedicates 100% of profits from booking fees to charity
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