INDIA-PHILIPPINES RELATIONS
Intersecting Interests, Shared Vision and Way Forward
To celebrate 75 years of diplomatic relations

Reena Marwah

This book commemorates and celebrates 75 years of robust and multi-dimensional diplomatic relations between our two vibrant democracies, India and the Philippines. Through nine chapters, penned by relying mainly on primary documents, published works, and consultations with experts and practitioners, this book takes the reader beyond historical, civilisational, political and economic synergies to locate the partnership and its potential in both bilateral and multilateral areas.

As their importance grows in the regional and global order, there is an imperative to identify avenues for their enhanced understanding through culture, history, economics, science, technology, innovations, and defense collaborations. This understanding will fortify and sustain their partnership to redress challenges posed by geo-economic and geo-strategic tensions - the raison d’etre for them to consolidate past achievements and move towards enhancing their regional and global presence. Given the aggressive posturing by China, suggested policy prescriptions aim to catalyze their holistic connections.

This volume responds to questions such as: What explains the need to strengthen India-Philippines partnership undergirded by their historical, diasporic and cultural affinities? How have both New Delhi and Manila reassessed their economic and strategic visions in the context of the transforming Indo-Pacific discourses? Given that defense cooperation has been the hallmark of trust building, how has this been reflected in their shared visions for regional security, peace and prosperity? Finally, what are the key sectors and catalysts for forging closer cooperation for the next 25 years of India-Philippines diplomatic relations?

Reena Marwah

Reena Marwah (M.Phil, Delhi University; PhD, India, International Business) is Professor, Jesus and Mary College, Delhi University and has been a Senior Academic Consultant, ICSSR and Senior fellow, Ministry of Education, Govt. of India. She is the recipient of several prestigious fellowships including the McNamara fellowship of the World Bank, and the Asia fellowship of the Asian Scholarship Foundation. She is the founding editor of Millennial Asia, a Scopus indexed (Sage) quarterly journal of the Association of Asia Scholars.

Among her research interests are international relations issues of China, Vietnam, Philippines, Thailand and India, and development issues of South and South East Asia. In addition to several articles, research papers and book chapters, she has over 20 books to her credit. Her most recent authored books are India-Vietnam Relations: Development Dynamics and Strategic Alignment, India and ASEAN in the Indo Pacific: Pathways and Perils and Pandemic Perspectives: Praxis, Policy and Pedagogies.

Contents

Acknowledgements

List of Abbreviations

SECTION I – Historical, Cultural and Economic Relations

1. India and the Philippines: Connections Through History, Culture and Diaspora
2. Through the Prism of Contemporary History: Philippines-India Political and Diplomatic Ties
3. Philippines – India Economic Relations
4. Business Process Outsourcing: Powering Interconnected Growth
5. India and the Philippines: Cooperation in Science, Technology and Innovation

SECTION II – The Strategic Landscape

6. ASEAN: Anchoring India Philippines Strategic Relations
7. Philippines Multilateralism: The China Factor
8. India-Philippines Defence Ties: Navigating Confrontation and Coercion in the Indo-Pacific
9. India-Philippines: 75 Years of Diplomatic Relations and Beyond

Index