PASAY CITY – The Senate Committee on Foreign Relations moved into high gear Thursday, February 19, as it began deliberations on three key international treaties designed to enhance the Philippines' global standing. 

Committee Chairperson Sen. Erwin Tulfo led the session, questioning experts from the DFA, DOJ, and DepEd to ensure the agreements align with national interests. 

The hearing focused on standardizing diplomatic cooperation, moving beyond formalities to establish concrete frameworks in education, fiscal policy, and legal repatriation.

Central to the discussion are three transformative deals: the Tokyo Convention, which aims to streamline the recognition of higher education degrees across the Asia-Pacific; a Double Taxation Agreement with Cambodia to ease financial burden on cross-border trade; and a crucial treaty with the United Kingdom on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons (TTSP). 

The UK pact would allow Filipinos convicted abroad to serve the remainder of their sentences closer to home. By involving stakeholders from the academe to legal experts, the panel signaled its intent to finalize these agreements and strengthen the country’s bilateral and regional ties.