By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet
At the conclusion of his four-year tour of duty in the country, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. received outgoing Spanish Ambassador to the Philippines Miguel Utray in a farewell call at Malacañang late Monday.
In their brief interaction, the President expressed his gratitude to the diplomat for maintaining the strength of cooperation between both countries.
During Ambassador Utray’s tenure, economic ties between the two countries continued to expand, with bilateral trade reaching US$1.073 billion in 2025, up from US$994.25 million in 2024.
Ambassador Utray assumed his post in October 2022, and is set to depart on Wednesday to assume his new assignment as Spain’s Ambassador to Angola.
He also held various positions in Spain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, Instituto Cervantes, the Office of the Prime Minister, and the International and Ibero-American Foundation for Administration and Public Policies.
2027 will mark the 80th anniversary of Philippines-Spain diplomatic relations, which were established on September 27, 1947.
The European nation ranked as the Philippines’ 24th largest trading partner in 2024, with major Philippine exports including tuna, skipjack, bonito, coconut oil, pineapples, and other agricultural and manufactured products.
Spain is also home to approximately 51,855 Filipinos, many of whom are employed in the services sector.
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