THE Philippines and New Zealand officially begun negotiations for the Status of Visiting Forces Agreement (SoVFA). The first round of talks on Jan. 23, 2025 was hosted by the Philippine government in Manila with Department of National Defense (DND) Undersecretary Pablo Lorenzo and Ministry of Defence (MoD) Director Kathleen Pearce leading the Philippine and New Zealand delegations, respectively.

Delegates from New Zealand included New Zealand Ambassador Catherine McIntosh, Deputy Head of Mission Stacey Kwant, and an analyst from the MoD. Other members of the New Zealand delegation joined virtually.