{"id":19015,"date":"2026-06-07T20:36:24","date_gmt":"2026-06-07T20:36:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uncav-vienna.org\/?p=19015"},"modified":"2026-06-07T20:36:24","modified_gmt":"2026-06-07T20:36:24","slug":"80-years-of-diplomatic-relations-between-austria-and-the-philippines","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uncav-vienna.org\/?p=19015","title":{"rendered":"80 Years of Diplomatic Relations between Austria and the Philippines"},"content":{"rendered":"

In 2026, the Philippines celebrate the 128th anniversary of their independence from Spain. However, the historical reference points between the two countries go back much further.<\/span><\/p>\n

The history of relations between Austria and the Philippines is not shaped by conflict; from the very beginning, friendly ties existed between the two countries.<\/span><\/p>\n

The discovery of the Philippines in European history took place on March 16, 1521, when the Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan, sailing on behalf of the Spanish Crown during the reign of a Habsburg, arrived on the islands.<\/span><\/p>\n

As Magellan landed during the feast of Saint Lazarus, he initially named the islands Islas de San L\u00e1zaro, but the name did not endure. Only 22 years later, Ruy Lopez de Villalobos (1500\u20131544), a Spanish navigator and explorer from M\u00e1laga, successfully renamed the islands after Crown Prince Philip (1527\u20131598) of the House of Habsburg, eldest son of Charles V and Isabella of Portugal. At that time, the Habsburg Empire was an empire on which the sun never set.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Image: Statue of Philip II, erected in 1998 in the historic district of Intramuros in Manila to honour the man after whom the Philippines were named. Photo: \u00a9 Private<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Villalobos‘ bestowal of the Habsburg Crown Prince’s name upon the islands embarked on a geographical triumph that Villalobos himself could hardly have expected. The name was soon used for the entire archipelago of over 7,100 islands. It remains the most famous legacy of Philip II.<\/span><\/p>\n

During more than three centuries of subsequent Spanish rule, Catholicism became firmly established in the Philippines. Today, alongside East Timor, the Philippines are the only Asian nation with a Catholic majority population.<\/span><\/p>\n

Christoph Carl Fernberg von Egenberg (1596\u20131653) was the first Austrian to arrive in the Philippines. Due to adverse circumstances, he travelled around the world between 1621 and 1628. In April 1623, his itinerary took him from Guam via the Philippine Visayas and the Sulu Islands to the Moluccas, though he did not leave any lasting traces in the Philippines.<\/span><\/p>\n

In contrast, the standard work on the ‚History of Austria‘ by Erich Z\u00f6llner honours the work of Georg Joseph Kamel, a botanist and pharmacist from Brno in the service of the Jesuits. Kamel reached the Mariana Islands in 1683 (the islands were named after Mariana of Austria, wife of the Spanish King Philip IV) and worked there for several years.<\/span><\/p>\n

He then moved to the Philippines, arriving in 1687, and took up quarters at the Jesuit Monastery of St. Ignacio in Manila. There, among other things, he opened the first pharmacy ever in the Philippines. He was responsible for the health of his fellow friars, but the local poor could also obtain -free of charge – various herbs for all kinds of illnesses from his pharmacy, which the Jesuit priests had collected and prepared.<\/span><\/p>\n

Georg Joseph Kamel died of an intestinal disease in Manila in 1706 at the age of 45. This likely makes him the first Austrian to pass away in the Philippines.<\/span><\/p>\n

The first German-language travel report in book form about the Philippines was written by Carl Alexander Anselm Freiherr von H\u00fcgel, an Austrian officer and diplomat who visited the Philippines in 1834. The book was published in 1860 by the Imperial and Royal Court and State Printing Office in Vienna under the title \u2018The Pacific Ocean and the Spanish Possessions in the East Indian Archipelago\u2019.<\/span><\/p>\n

The frigate S.M.S. Novara, a warship of the Austrian Navy, also made a stop in Manila during its celebrated circumnavigation of the globe from 1857 to 1859, specifically from June 15 to 26, 1858. The Novara Expedition was under the command of Commodore Bernhard von W\u00fcllersdorf-Urbair, with 345 officers and crew members as well as many distinguished scientists on board. It was a scientific expedition that subsequently achieved great international recognition, leaving behind scientific studies and artworks depicting Philippine life.<\/span><\/p>\n

Beautiful paintings with Philippine motifs were created during the voyage and published in various printed works; they were painted by the official expedition artist Joseph Selleny, the creator of the Vienna City Park (Wiener Stadtpark). A significant portion of the originals is now held in the collections of the \u00d6sterreichische Galerie Belvedere, the Albertina, and the Museum of Military History.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the 19th century, the geologist Richard Freiherr Drasche von Wartinberg, son of the founder of the Wienerberger Brick Factory, conducted research in the Philippines and published important findings about the volcanoes of Luzon in a book titled \u2018Fragments on a Geology of the Island of Luzon Philippines\u2019.<\/span><\/p>\n

The most important element in bilateral relations during the 19th century, however, is the legendary friendship between the Austrian scholar Ferdinand Blumentritt and the Philippine national hero Jos\u00e9 Rizal. Blumentritt became Rizal’s closest confidant. Rizal visited him in Leitmeritz and also stayed in Vienna (a commemorative plaque in Vienna marks this occasion), while Blumentritt himself never visited the Philippines.<\/span><\/p>\n

Nevertheless, he wrote extensively about the country and, among other works, translated Rizal’s books into German (it should be noted that Rizal himself was fluent in German). To this day, their intensive correspondence is considered the ideological foundation of bilateral relations. Their friendship lasted until Rizal’s death; he was executed by a Spanish firing squad in 1896.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Image: Bronze bust of Ferdinand Blumentritt, the Austrian historian and close friend of Dr. Jos\u00e9 Rizal, located in the Noli Me Tangere Garden of Rizal Park (Luneta) in Manila. It was presented to the Philippines in 1998 as a gift from the Republic of Austria. Photo: \u00a9 Private<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

To this day, tourists especially notice the many jeepneys in Metro Manila – the most peculiar and popular public transport in the Philippines – bearing the word ‚Blumentritt‘, which refers to their route.<\/span><\/p>\n

Establishing Diplomatic Ties<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Austria apparently played with the idea of establishing a consulate in the Philippines as early as 1820, but this idea could not be realised at first. Time and again, Austrian<\/span><\/p>\n

warships embarked on voyages around the globe that also led them to East Asia. One of these ships was the Fasana, which additionally had the mission of looking for a suitable honorary consul in Manila.<\/span><\/p>\n

On September 16, 1871, Emperor Franz Josef approved the appointment of Julius Spanier as honorary consul – and thus the opening of the first Austro-Hungarian consulate in Manila. The honorary consulate existed until the First World War; the United States had been ruling the Philippines as the new colonial power since 1898. It was not until 1936 that the federal government in Vienna decided once again to establish an honorary consulate in the Philippines.<\/span><\/p>\n

Diplomatic relations between the Republic of Austria and the Republic of the Philippines were established on October 17, 1946, just a few months after the Philippines had finally become an independent and sovereign state. The Philippine Embassy in Vienna was opened in 1973, followed by a resident Austrian Embassy in Manila in 1980. Relations between the two countries have always been friendly and have been systematically expanded, and trade exchange has grown rapidly.<\/span><\/p>\n

Economic and Human Connections<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Trade between Austria and the Philippines is experiencing dynamic growth, with Austria traditionally running a trade deficit. Most recently, Austrian goods exports reached \u20ac182 million, while imports from the Philippines stood at around \u20ac241 million; the volume has thus doubled on both sides within the last ten years. As one of the fastest-growing economies in the Southeast Asian region, the Philippines offer a dynamic sales market for Austrian companies.<\/span><\/p>\n

Austria and the Philippines are closely linked on all levels – both economically and on the human level. Furthermore, there is a large Philippine community in Austria. In the 1960s and 1970s, many immigrants with medical training came to Austria from the Philippines, filling urgent labour needs in nursing and medicine. This served both countries very well, providing secure employment for many Filipinos.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Filipinos integrated quickly. They participated actively in public life and made a positive contribution to society in their host country. With their culture, they also brought a piece of their home to Austria; while maintaining their traditions, they have always been proud of their country. This represents a peaceful coexistence and an example of togetherness in every aspect.<\/span><\/p>\n

Celebrating 80 Years of Friendship<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

On February 12, 2026, Austria’s Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger received her Philippine counterpart, Maria Theresa Parre\u00f1o Lazaro, for a bilateral working meeting in Vienna. The invitation took place against the backdrop of the 80th anniversary of bilateral relations between Austria and the Philippines.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Image: Center (from left): Maria Theresa Parre\u00f1o Lazaro, Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines; Beate Meinl-Reisinger, Austrian Minister for Foreign Affairs; Evangelina Lourdes A. Bernas, Ambassador of the Philippines to Austria. Photo: \u00a9 BMEIA \/Gruber<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As a special token of appreciation and to honour the close human, cultural, and economic ties between Austria and the Philippines, Secretary of Foreign Affairs Maria Theresa Parre\u00f1o Lazaro also attended the 2026 Vienna Opera Ball as the guest of honour of the Austrian Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Image: From left to right: Beate Meinl-Reisinger, Austrian Minister for Foreign Affairs; Albanian Foreign Minister Elisa Spiropali; Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen with his wife Doris Schmidauer; Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Maria Theresa Parre\u00f1o Lazaro. Photo: \u00a9 Office of the Federal President<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Foreign Minister Meinl-Reisinger, during an exchange with the Philippine community in Austria following the bilateral working meeting, emphasised: ‚What truly defines this anniversary are the people behind this relationship. The Philippine community in Austria is an outstanding example of what successful integration means. Their contribution to society is of invaluable worth especially in the nursing sector, where many of them work.‘<\/span><\/p>\n

Around 6,000 Philippine workers are registered in Austria. They are primarily active in the healthcare and nursing sectors as well as in the hospitality industry. In all sectors -including the economy and culture – they have been making a valuable contribution to Austrian society since the 1970s. The Philippine Embassy in Vienna estimates that around 30,000 people with Philippine roots currently live in Austria, making them the largest Southeast Asian community in the country.<\/span><\/p>\n

Looking Ahead<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

In a world of geopolitical uncertainty, the Philippines remain a reliable partner for Austria in the Indo-Pacific, a strategically important region for Europe and Austria. They also strengthen Austria’s connectivity with ASEAN, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, whose chairmanship the Philippines hold in 2026.<\/span><\/p>\n

‚Over the past 80 years, relations between Austria and the Philippines have developed into a strong and multifaceted partnership. Not only have diplomatic connections been established and maintained, but significant progress has also been achieved in the economic sector. We are proud to further expand this partnership, thereby creating a stable foundation for future growth and shared success,‘ said Foreign Minister Meinl-Reisinger.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hermann Kroiher, June 2026.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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