Canada pledges cybersecurity support ahead of Phl 2028 polls

Canada will continue helping the Philippines strengthen its defenses against emerging cybersecurity threats as the 2028 presidential election approaches.

David Hartman, Canadian Ambassador to the Philippines, said Ottawa is committed to assisting Manila in achieving “democratic resiliency” under its Indo-Pacific Strategy.

“We’re living in unprecedented times in terms of the threats to our respective democracies. So, now is the time when like-minded friends need to rise to the occasion and provide a measure of support to one another and for one another,” Hartman told reporters during a Canada Embassy forum on combatting foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI) last week.

Current Canadian support includes training for cyber defenders, technical workshops, and advancing measures to counter FIMI. “Cybersecurity and information integrity are no longer technical issues — they are national, regional, and democratic imperatives. Canada’s commitment to this agenda is long-standing and continues to grow,” Hartman said.

Dindo Manhit of the Stratbase ADR Institute described FIMI as a “well-orchestrated system” exploiting political vulnerabilities to influence public perception and behavior for foreign strategic interests.

“Technology should be — and will be — for the public good. We should never allow foreign agents to bring down our defenses and sway what our people feel, think and believe, which in turn influences their democratic decisions,” Manhit said, adding, “There should be no compromises in the protection of our sovereignty and our democracy.”

He stressed that early measures are essential to secure both the country’s information environment and cyber domain ahead of 2028. “And how we are shaped, shapes the future of our country. What’s the remedy? It’s for us to understand that this is a [cyber] war that is ongoing,” he said.

Manhit also noted that social media influence has surged, with at least 76 percent of Filipinos affected in May 2026, compared with just 3 percent in 2016.