Name of country: The Republic of the Philippines

Establishment of diplomatic relations:

• 8 October 1954 (Federal Republic of Germany)
• 21 September 1973 (German Democratic Republic)

System of government: Presidential system based on the Constitution of 1987

Bilateral relations between Germany and the Philippines are close, friendly and defined by common interests and values. The visit by President Marcos Jr. of the Philippines to Germany in 2024 and the visit by Federal President Steinmeier to the Philippines in June 2026 further enhanced diplomatic relations.

German traders were present in the Philippines as far back as the 1880s. Alongside the German Embassy, the German Club Manila (founded in 1906), the German European School Manila (GESM), the Goethe-Institut, the German-Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and five German political foundations ensure that Germany maintains a high profile in the country.

Among the EU Member States, Germany is the Philippines’ most important trade and investment partner. The very active German-Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry has around 300 member companies operating in sectors such as pharmaceuticals, banking and insurance, aircraft maintenance, logistics, the automotive industry, and plant engineering and construction.

In the past few years, Philippine care staff have been recruited to work in Germany, while cooperation on the recruitment of skilled workers in other professions is being developed. The Goethe-Institut, which has been active in the field of culture and language in Manila since 1961, currently teaches German to over 300 people. At present, more than 1500 students are learning German at the 19 public schools coordinated by the Goethe-Institut’s Educational Services Department. The Philippines was the Guest of Honour at the 2025 Frankfurt Book Fair.

As a recognised German School Abroad, GESM has provided international education in German and English for over 40 years. As part of the Eurocampus Manila, GESM and the French International School (LFM) offer unique opportunities for intercultural learning and mutual understanding in the spirit of European educational traditions.

As the Philippines is one of the countries worldwide most affected by natural disasters, climate change and its consequences, cooperation in the fields of climate action, disaster risk reduction and the protection of biological diversity is a priority of development cooperation.