On an official visit to the Philippines, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva cited the country's independence hero, José Rizal, a symbol of the struggle against colonialism, when referring to his reelection in October.
"On the 25th, in the face of extremism and attempts at external interference, the Brazilian people chose sovereignty, democracy, and social justice. They chose not to bow their heads when they could raise them, as the Filipino hero José Rizal wrote."
Lula is attending, as a guest, the Summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). After meeting with his Filipino counterpart, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the Brazilian president was scheduled to deliver an address that ended up being canceled due to Lula's hoarseness. Copies of the text of his speech were distributed to journalists.
The gesture of courtesy and respect toward the Filipino hero served both to project Lula's political legitimacy and to reinforce the defense of multilateralism and respect for international law.
"In an increasingly polarized and conflict-ridden world, Brazilians and Filipinos converge in their commitment to peace, multilateralism, and respect for international law," the text states.
Lula highlighted that Brazil and the Philippines share colonial pasts and common development goals, such as pursuing economic growth with social inclusion and environmental protection.
"As voices of the Global South, we advocate for more representative multilateral institutions capable of responding to the challenges of our time," he emphasized.
The president asserted that Brazil and the Philippines agree on several other points, such as recognizing the importance of addressing climate change; establishing robust, ethical, and responsible governance for artificial intelligence; as well as defending the self-determination of the Palestinian people.
"As tropical and megadiverse countries, we provide essential environmental services for the balance of the planet. Ensuring proper compensation for the conservation of these assets is fundamental," Lula argued.
Forest fund
He argued that the two countries could financially benefit from the creation of the Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF) if they keep their forests standing.
Announced by Lula in 2023, the international financing fund began operating in 2025, during the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30), held in Belém, in the state of Pará.
It is a financing model that combines public and private investments, providing for the transfer of resources to countries with tropical forests that work to preserve these areas. In other words: nations that manage to restore and keep their forests standing should be financially rewarded for this effort.
Lula said he has renewed the invitation for the Philippines to join the Belém Commitment on Sustainable Fuels and highlighted that Brazil is ready to help Filipinos reduce their dependence on fossil fuels and ensure greater energy security, sharing the country's experience in biofuels and clean energy generation.
According to the Brazilian president, a bilateral memorandum on the subject, signed in August, is already being implemented, in addition to the announcement of technical assistance to strengthen the Filipino sugarcane industry and the pursuit of new partnerships in agricultural research.
Protagonism
For Alexandre Pires, a professor of International Relations at Ibmec-SP, Lula's stance signals a resumption of the foreign policy strategy that the federal government adopted at the beginning of the current term, in 2023.
"President Lula has once again been seeking international protagonism. [A pursuit] that characterized the beginning of his third and current term and that seems to have become one of his goals again for the next term," said Pires, noting that in his speech, Lula sought to strike a balanced distance from the great powers.
For the expert, by speaking from a country that maintains a historic and strategic alliance with Washington, Lula seeks to reposition Brazil as an alternative leader on the global stage.
"He took advantage of being in the Philippines, a first-order ally of the United States, to state his positions regarding the international order and, in a way, send some diplomatic messages — including drawing a parallel between the Philippines' colonial situation and independence and Brazil's."
Pires recalled that, immediately after freeing themselves from Spanish rule in 1898, the Philippines became a territory administered by the United States, a condition the country only overcame in 1946.
Summit
Lula visited the Philippines at the invitation of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. In addition to attending the ASEAN Summit, he is taking part in the Brazil-Philippines Business Forum, which will address topics related to bilateral trade and international partnerships.
"I bring with me to Manila [the capital of the Philippines], a renewed responsibility to diversify partnerships, strengthen ties of cooperation, and reposition Brazil in global value chains," Lula stated, characterizing his visit to the country as "a new chapter in the bilateral relationship."
In January of this year, the federal government formally submitted a request to expand its relationship with ASEAN, moving from its current status as Sectoral Dialogue Partner to Dialogue Partner, the highest level of engagement with the group of Southeast Asian countries.
If the request is accepted, Brazil will join a group that includes countries such as Canada, South Korea, the United States, and Japan.
Trade between Brazil and the Philippines currently amounts to about US$ 3 billion. The Asian country is today the main buyer of pork produced in Brazil.
Earlier this week, however, the Filipino government announced a 60-day suspension of imports of the Brazilian product and that of other producing nations, in an attempt to raise prices paid to local farmers. If maintained, the measure will take effect on the 24th.
Today (the 14th), in Manila, the Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, André de Paula, said he is optimistic about the progress of the talks that technicians and political authorities from the two countries have been holding.