The Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) hosted members of the Council of Asia-Pacific Working Party (COASI) and the European Union Delegation to the Philippines for a pivotal visit on 02 April 2025, emphasising the deepening collaboration between the Philippines and the European Union in leveraging space-based technologies for sustainable development.
The high-level delegation included H.E. Massimo Santoro, Ambassador of the European Union to the Philippines, alongside representatives from 17 EU Member States, and officials from the EU Delegation. Their visit underscores the EU’s commitment to fostering international partnerships through its Global Gateway strategy, which promotes secure and sustainable cooperation in digital, space, energy, and transport sectors worldwide.
A key focus of the visit was the status of the National Copernicus Capacity Support Action Programme for the Philippines (CopPhil), a flagship initiative under the Global Gateway launched in April 2023. As part of the EU Space Programme, Copernicus provides free and open access to satellite data, supporting disaster risk reduction, environmental monitoring, and climate change adaptation. In the Philippines, CopPhil is expanding the use of this data to enhance climate resilience, biodiversity conservation, and hazard management. The programme, managed by the EU Delegation and implemented by the European Space Agency (ESA), PhilSA, and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), comprises three main components:
- Copernicus Data Centre: Inaugurated in October 2024, this facility is the first Copernicus data hub in Southeast Asia, strengthening the country’s access to critical satellite data.
- Earth Observation Pilot Services: These customized services address key areas such as ground motion monitoring, land cover and crop mapping, and coastal marine habitat assessment, supporting environmental and agricultural needs.
- Capacity Building and Knowledge Transfer: These include training programs, workshops, and higher education scholarships for Filipino government officials to develop expertise in Earth Observation (EO) and remote sensing, ensuring long-term sustainability of space-based initiatives.
As the central Philippine government agency addressing all national issues and activities related to space S&T applications, PhilSA is leading local efforts to harness space-based technologies for national development. Through initiatives like CopPhil, PhilSA is strengthening the infrastructure, processes, and human resources needed to ingest space data and bridge insights to action in critical applications such as agriculture, environmental monitoring, disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation.
PhilSA Director General Dr. Joel Joseph S. Marciano Jr. emphasized the significance of such partnerships, stating “This collaborative effort with the EU is fundamental to increasing our country’s capacity to foster innovation using space-based data, and to position the Philippines as a central hub for Earth Observation in Southeast Asia.”
EU Ambassador H.E. Massimo Santoro highlighted the importance of this cooperation, noting “CopPhil is a clear example of how the EU Global Gateway strategy drives long-term international collaboration centred on sustainable development, facilitating the joint development of tailor-made long-lasting space-based solutions which address countries’ needs.”
The visit reaffirmed the shared commitment of the EU and the Philippines to harness space technology for societal benefits, reinforcing the role of international cooperation in addressing global challenges.
