Bilateral and diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Switzerland may be traced back to the early 1800s when Swiss traders, missionaries and travelers ventured to East Asia.

[3] Trade and investment relations flourish with Switzerland as one of the top ten investors in the Philippines with more than 60 Swiss companies employing at least 15,000 Filipinos locally in the Southeast Asian country.

The two leaders agreed to convene the Philippines-Switzerland Joint Economic Commission a consultation to facilitate bilateral discussions on trade and investment cooperation.

[4] Philippine ambassador Maria Theresa Lazaro has also been involved in work to raise the status of Filipina women in Switzerland and promote their integration into Swiss society by organising a peer support group and inviting a psychologist to give seminars on self-esteem, leadership, and team-building.

[5] The documentary Luminawa by Swiss director Thomas Luchinger-De Clerq discusses the search for identity by second-generation Kalinga people in Switzerland.