Establishment of Diplomatic Relations
Both countries established diplomatic relations on 14 April 1953. The Philippines set up its legation in Mexico City in 1953, with CDA, a.i., Mariano Espeleta as head. The Mexican Embassy opened in Manila in the same year, headed by CDA, a.i. Carlos Gutierrez Matias.
The first Philippine Ambassador to Mexico was Dr. Octavio L. Maloles, who presented his credentials to then Mexican President Adolfo Lopez Mateos on 12 September 1961.
Both countries celebrated the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations in 2023.
Exchange of High-Level Visits
In terms of exchange of visits between Heads of States of the two countries, four (4) Philippine Presidents have visited Mexico in various capacities - President-elect Diosdado Macapagal (1961), President Ferdinand E. Marcos to attend the North-South Summit in Cancun (1981), President Fidel V. Ramos on a State Visit (1997), and President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to attend International Conference of Christian Democratic Parties on 21 Nov 2001 and to participate in the 10th APEC Leaders Meeting in La Paz, Baja California in October 2002.
On the Mexican side, President Adolfo Lopez Mateos went to the Philippines in 1962, President Jose Lopez Portillo in 1978, President Ernesto Zedillo in 1996, and President Enrique Peña Nieto was in Manila in 2015 for the APEC Summit.
Filipinos in Mexico
In 2023, there were an estimated 1646 Filipinos in Mexico. The majority of them are working as professionals: engineers, accountants, human resource staff, IT specialists, middle management and staff at various Mexican companies.
Trade and Investment
In 2023, Philippine-Mexico bilateral trade reached US$ 1.3 billion with USD 906 million (Export) and USD 352 million (Import), in favor of the Philippines. Mexico ranks as the Philippines´ 17th largest trading partner (out of 184). Trade between the Philippines and Mexico is largely on electronics, circuits, converters, spectacles and data processing equipment.
The Philippines enjoys robust economic relations with Mexico, particularly in investments. Among the Mexican companies present in the Philippines are Kidzania (a children’s interactive learn/play center, 2015), and Mabe (kitchen and household appliances, 2014).
In Mexico, Philippine-owned International Container Terminal Services, Inc., currently operates two terminals in Manzanillo and Veracruz, while IMI (Integrated Micro-Electronics), Inc., a subsidiary of the Ayala Corporation and one of the top 50 electronics manufacturing service providers in the world, established a manufacturing site in Mexico in 2011.
More recently, global liquor company Emperador Inc., owned by Mr. Andrew Tan, purchased major Mexican brands such as Presidente (Mexico’s no. 1 Brandy), Azteca de Oro and Don Pedro. The buy-out expanded Emperador´s global market, particularly in Latin America, making it the largest brandy producer in the world.
DTI opened its first Philippine Trade and Investment Center (PTIC) south of the US in Mexico City on 01 May 2016. PTIC-Mexico aims to develop trade and investment opportunities in Mexico, as well as in Central and South America. For more information please visit PTIC-Mexico's webpage: https://www.dti.gov.ph/overseas/mexico
