Indonesia–Philippines relations (; ) are the bilateral relations between Indonesia and the Philippines. The two countries established diplomatic relations on 24 November 1949. Since then, both countries enjoy a cordial bilateral relationship in the spirit of kinship. The two countries are considered allies, and their relationship is often seen as one of the most important bilateral relationships in ASEAN. Both countries have established embassies in each other's capital city. Indonesia has an embassy in Manila and consulate in Davao City, while the Philippines has an embassy in Jakarta and a consulate in Manado. High-level state visits have been conducted between the two countries for years.

Both nations are founding members of ASEAN, and they are also members of the Non-Aligned Movement and APEC. Both countries are members of the East ASEAN Growth Triangle together with Brunei Darussalam and Malaysia in the BIMP-EAGA. Both countries are mostly composed of islands, and they also both reject territorial claims of the People's Republic of China in the region.

The Philippines and Indonesia also share several non-traditional security concerns, including climate change, terrorism, and economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic amid the Russo-Ukrainian war and the ongoing tension in the Taiwan Strait.

History

Ancient era Both the Philippines and Indonesia were part of the Maritime Jade Road.Tsang, Cheng-hwa (2000), "Recent advances in the Iron Age archaeology of Taiwan", Bulletin of the Indo-Pacific Prehistory Association, 20: 153–158, doi:10.7152/bippa.v20i0.11751Turton, M. (2021). Notes from central Taiwan: Our brother to the south. Taiwan's relations with the Philippines date back millennia, so it's a mystery that it's not the jewel in the crown of the New Southbound Policy. Taiwan Times.Everington, K. (2017). Birthplace of Austronesians is Taiwan, capital was Taitung: Scholar. Taiwan News.Bellwood, P., H. Hung, H., Lizuka, Y. (2011). Taiwan Jade in the Philippines: 3,000 Years of Trade and Long-distance Interaction. Semantic Scholar. Indonesia and the Philippines are both archipelagic countries with ethnic populations and national languages that have common Austronesian ancestry. The historical links between ancient Indonesia and the Philippines have commenced since around the 9th century. The Laguna Copperplate Inscription dated from 900 CE mentioned the Javanese Medang Kingdom and the Srivijaya Empire. The writing system used is the Kawi Script, while the language is a variety of Old Malay, and contains numerous loanwords from Sanskrit and a few non-Malay vocabulary elements whose origin is between Old Tagalog and Old Javanese.Postma, Antoon. (1992). The Laguna Copper-Plate Inscription: Text and Commentary. Philippine Studies vol. 40, no. 2:183-203 The 14th century Nagarakretagama manuscript written during the height of Majapahit empire, mentioned several states that is now Philippines; Kalka, Selurong (Manila), and Solot (Sulu), suggested that Majapahit empire influences had reached the Philippine archipelago. Later on in the Medieval Period, a Filipino kingdom, the then Hindu Rajahnate of Sulu, which became the Muslim Sulu Sultanate, briefly conquered Kalimantan which are now territories of Indonesia.Reading Song-Ming Records on the Pre-colonial History of the Philippines By Wang Zhenping, p. 258. Later in the 1500s, the Indonesian kingdom of the Sultanate of Aceh, employed Filipinos from Luzon (Luções) as favored soldiers, ultimately, Fernão Mendes Pinto wrote in Peregrinação (C. R. Boxer, ed., The Travels of Mendes Pinto, vol. 1, Hakluyt Society, 1956) pp. 256–261 (Book II, ch. XLIX) Aceh (1539), these words, of the Luções:

Sapetu Diraja, a chieftain from Luçon, brought with him two hundred Luções veterans to serve the Sultan of Acheh. Their valor and skill with the kris so impressed the court that they were retained as the Sultan’s guard.

To be assigned as the Sultan's royal guard, is proof of Luçoes men's physical strength, martial prowess, and masculine attractiveness; as during that time period, among Medieval kingdoms, that office was only reserved to the most strong, intelligent, handsome, attractive, virile, aristocratic, and combat-worthy, of warriors.Skaff, Jonathan Karam, Sui-Tang China and Its Turko-Mongol Neighbors: Culture, Power, and Connections, 580–800The Janissaries by David Nicolle and Christa Hook (p. 12, ELI - 58)"The boys are registered by the devşirme officer and allotted a certain amount of money for travel expenses. On their backs, the boys carry small packs filled with their possessions for the long journey to the capital. Once they arrive, they will be circumcised and commence training for different administrative and military posts. They are dressed in red in order to be easily identified should they escape. As the accompanying text indicates, boys could only be taken from families with more than one son. The boys were chosen on the basis of their intelligence and physical appearance and beauty, with ugly boys and orphans being deemed unfit for state service."

European occupation In the 16th century the two realms were divided under European colonial powers; Philippines archipelago was held under Spanish Empire while on the south the Moluccas spice islands (now Eastern parts of Indonesia) was under Portuguese possession, later wrestled by Dutch Empire. European colonials identify both archipelagic realms as East Indies, Spanish East Indies and Dutch East Indies.

From 1925 to 1926, Indonesian national hero and former PKI member Tan Malaka lived in Manila. There he became a correspondent of the nationalist newspaper El Debate, edited by Francisco Varona. Publication of Malaka's works, such as a second edition of Naar de Republiek Indonesia (December 1925) and Semangat Moeda (Young Spirit; 1926) might have been supported by Varona. He wrote his admiration for José Rizal struggle. There Malaka also met Mariano de los Santos, José Abad Santos, and Crisanto Evangelista.

Modern-day

Since Indonesia's proclamation of independence on 17 August 1945, and the Philippines independence on 4 July 1946, the old cordial relationship between Indonesians and the Filipinos was reestablished. On 24 November 1949, the two countries established diplomatic relations. Since 1949, the Indonesian Government has opened its representative office (Consular Office) in Manila but it was not until the early 1950s that a diplomatic office (embassy) was established headed by an Ambassador. In 1967, both countries together with Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia founded ASEAN to ensure the peace and stability in the region.

In 2012, Indonesian television producers spawned their national franchise of the Philippine game-television show Eat Bulaga!, known as Eat Bulaga! Indonesia. The first Indonesian version adopted many activities and game segments from their original Philippine counterpart, before switching TV stations and adding their own twists.

However, with the case of Mary Jane Veloso, a Filipina death-row inmate in Indonesia convicted of drug trafficking, relations between the two nations may take a minor strain. Veloso has, however, requested her family and the Philippine government not to damage the Indonesia–Philippines relations. Veloso's execution was further delayed on the day she was scheduled to be executed in 2015. But following an agreement between the Indonesian and Philippine governments, Veloso returned to the Philippines in 2024.

In 2016, in an effort to improve the country's maritime capabilities, the Philippine Navy purchased its newest warship, the BRP Tarlac, from Indonesia. It is based on the Makassar-class ships used by the Indonesian Navy. The ship was built by PT PAL Indonesia, in Surabaya, East Java where it is to be exported from. This would enable the Philippines to rely less on foreign allies for military maritime transport.

In June 2016, economic relations between Indonesia and the Philippines took a minor strain, when the Indonesian officials suspended coal exports to the Philippines. This decision was made after 7 Indonesian sailors carrying boats of coal en route to the Philippines were kidnapped by Filipino militants in the Sulu Sea. It is unknown of whether the militants were part of the Abu Sayyaf. Indonesian minister for foreign affairs Retno Marsudi stated that the moratorium would last until the Philippine government could provide confident security to Indonesian nationals. Indonesia currently is the Philippines' biggest supplier of coal, approximately 70%.

In January 2017, the Philippines granted residence permits to persons of Indonesian descent (PIDs) and stateless people with Indonesian ancestry living in southern Philippines.

Culture

Linguistic diversity Both countries have considerable number of languages spoken, for example Indonesia has about 700 languages,Indonesia at Ethnologue. while the Philippines has over 180 languages spoken in the country.Philippines at Ethnologue.

Ethnic groups Both countries have a large number of ethnic groups, the Philippines has about 182 ethnic groups,The most common amongst the Filipino ethnic groups are the Tagalog people, Cebuano people, Bikol people and Mangyan. while Indonesia has about 1,300,The most common amongst the Indonesian ethnic groups are the Javanese people, Batak people, Sundanese people and Minangkabau. most of whom speak Austronesian languages.

Similarities

Land Both countries are archipelagos; Indonesia has 17,000 islands, about 6,000 of which are inhabited, with most living in Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, and the Indonesian part of New Guinea. The Philippines has 7,641 islands, the largest being Luzon, Mindanao, Samar, and Negros.

Season Both countries are tropical archipelagos where there are only two seasons, the rainy season and the dry season.

Colonization and invasions Both countries were colonized by European powers.

Spanish East Indies – Spanish colony from 1565 to 1898 – Dutch colony from 1602 to 1949 (included Netherlands New Guinea until 1962)

Both countries were invaded by Japan in 1941–1942 and occupied until 1945.

Philippines campaign Dutch East Indies campaign

Language The languages Filipino and Indonesian are members of Malayo-Polynesian languages and have some similarities in words. +NounsIndonesianFilipinoEnglishakuakomekamikamiwe/us +NumbersIndonesianFilipinoEnglishEmpatApatFourLimaLimaFiveEnamAnimSix

Dictatorships and revolutions Both countries were ruled by Dictators following decolonization, which ruled for decades until they were overthrown in popular revolutions which paved the way for democracy.

Philippines Dictatorial Government (1898) – rule by Emilio Aguinaldo that also announced the Philippine Declaration of Independence. New Society Regime (1972–1986) – rule by Ferdinand Marcos from the announcement of the Proclamation No. 1081 until his removal from power following the People Power Revolution.

Indonesia Guided Democracy Regime (1959–1966) – rule by Sukarno from the announcement of his 1959 Decree until his fall from power during the Transition to the New Order. New Order Regime (1966–1998) – rule by Suharto from his Rise to Power until his Resignation from office following violent protests.

Both the Marcos and Suharto regimes were known for their extreme corruption, with the Marcos family embezzling from US$5 billion to $13 billion, and the Suharto family embezzling from US$15 billion to $35 billion.

Women Leaders Both countries have a history of female presidents.

Corazon Aquino (1986–1992) – replaced Ferdinand Marcos after the People Power Revolution. She is the mother of former president Benigno Aquino III. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (2001–2010) – replaced Joseph Estrada after his Ouster and Resignation. She is the daughter of former president Diosdado Macapagal.