Philippines looks forward to continuing ties with Britain, EU

The Philippines respects British decision to leave the European Union (EU) as it looks forward to continuing its ties with Britain and the EU, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Tuesday.

"As a nation that shares with the United Kingdom adherence to democratic principles and the rule of law, the Philippines respects this decision of the British people," said the department in a statement.

The DFA cited the Philippines' deep relationship with Britain over the past 70 years.

It noted that trade between the two countries amounts to about 1.8 billion U.S. dollars per year.

The department also said Britain is home to some 200,000 Filipinos, and last year over 154,000 British tourists visited the Philippines.

(APD)