The Philippines and Oman reaffirmed their strong bilateral ties during the Oman National Day celebration at Makati City on Wednesday.
During her speech, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Undersecretary for Administration Theresa Dizon de Vega highlighted that Oman had more than 48,000 Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) who treated the country as their second home.
Celebrating 45 years of diplomatic ties between the Philippines and Oman, de Vega noted that Oman had solidified itself as a “model of innovation, dialogue, and cooperation in the Gulf region and beyond.”
She said that the Philippines looks forward to enriching its future partnership with Oman, especially following the successful signing of agreements in the sectors of health, tourism, and education, among others.
“Our two nations, though separated by seas, are united by shared values of hospitality, respect, and a commitment to uplifting the lives of our peoples… [The OFW] contributions to Oman society are a living testament to the bonds of trust and mutual cooperation between our countries, and for the past 45 years, Oman and the Philippines have nurtured our excellent relations in the economic, political, and cultural spheres,” de Vega said.
“We look forward to more collaboration in the fields of agriculture, fisheries, the maritime industry, and trade and investments, among others, hopefully with the signing of agreements in these areas,” she added.
In an interview, Oman Ambassador to the Philippines H.E. Nasser Said Abdullah Al Manwari said that Oman had no problems with the Filipino population and that they hoped to see the number of Filipino tourists increase in the country.
He also shared that they are now working on expanding job opportunities in Oman for aspiring Filipino workers.
“We love Filipinos. We have like 50,000 Filipinos working there, and we have no problems working over there. We have absolutely no problem working with the Filipinos working in Oman. We always prefer the Filipino workers,” he shared.
“We are working on that [opening more jobs in Oman]. We are working on many specializations, like in maybe nursery, medical sectors, pharma. I think that number will increase dramatically. We are working on that one… I think [our upcoming forum in 2026] will enhance the charges of the labor [sector] and the fostering of the cooperation between the two countries,” he added.
Diplomatic ties between the Philippines and Oman were established on October 6, 1980 and have been continuing for the past 45 years.
The partnerships have since yielded positive outcomes, including the most recent Oman-Cebu Investment Forum at Cebu City last July.
Al Manwari shared that they are working towards an “Oman Vision 2040,” which sought to “build a diversified economy, a prosperous society, and modern, effective institutions.”
“What we celebrate today is the continuation of a deeply-rooted national journey built on sincerity and achievement—a journey of hope toward a bright future in which Oman plays an active role in fostering peace and contributing to human civilization,” Manwari said. —LDF, GMA Integrated News
