A new grant to support public transportation development and a $200-million guarantee agreement with Asian Development Bank (ADB) on climate change were signed during a recent visit of a high-level Swedish delegation to the Philippines, the Embassy of Sweden said.
State Secretary to the Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade, Mrs. Diana Janse, and Director General of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), Mr. Jakob Granit, led the delegation during their February 25-27 visit.
“The Philippines is a priority partner for Sweden and the purpose of the officials’ visit is to further deepen partnerships” in key sectors such as infrastructure, climate change, and disaster resilience, the Embassy of Sweden said in a news release.
Sweden, through the Swedish Development Finance Institution (Swedfund), provided a new grant to support public transportation development; the grant was signed at the Department of Transportation (DOTr).
Also, Sweden, this time through the Sida, signed a guarantee agreement for the ADB to increase investments to address climate change in Southeast Asia, including the Philippines.
During their visit, the Swedish officials engaged with key counterparts from the Departments of Finance, National Defense, Foreign Affairs, Transportation, and Information and Communications Technology, as well as the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) in Clark, focusing on ongoing initiatives.
In Clark, the Swedish officials met with representatives from the DICT, World Food Programme (WPF), and the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation to discuss collaboration in disaster resilience and how Swedish expertise, innovation, and technology can contribute to enhancing the Philippines’ preparedness and response capacity to natural disasters.
Ericsson Response, the disaster relief program of the leading Swedish provider of mobile connectivity solutions Ericsson, together with the DICT and WPF, presented their work and one of the specialized Government Emergency Communications Service-Mobile Operations Vehicles (GECS-MOVE). Ten of these vehicles, provided by Ericsson, are deployed in strategic locations around the country to ensure fast and effective response. Trusted connectivity is critical for a country’s safety.
Swedish officials also met with BCDA to express support for the Subic-Clark-Manila-Batangas Freight Railway Project and were showcased its plans and progress. Sweden is supporting DOTr in the project development phase, providing technical assistance through Swedfund.
“We are determined to continue building a deep and long-lasting partnership with the Philippines. In addition, Swedish companies are investing in the country, contributing to job creation and technology transfer,” said State Secretary Mrs. Diana Janse, during her visit to the Swedish consumer electronics and engineered soft goods company OSM Group in Clark.
In 2025, OSM Group has plans to expand its industrial footprint, both operations and investments, in the Philippines due to availability of the competitive skills in the country.
Sweden is one of the top global leaders of high technological, innovative and sustainable solutions in security and defense, connectivity, health, sustainable mining and infrastructure. The country spends around 3.5 percent of GDP on research and development, government and private sector combined.
This visit underscores Sweden’s commitment to fostering sustainable economic growth and resilience through knowledge-sharing and innovation-driven partnerships.
Sweden has had diplomatic relations with the Philippines since 1947.
