(UPDATE) VANCOUVER, Canada — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. arrived here on Wednesday for an official visit aimed at further deepening bilateral cooperation in trade, defense, investment, and regional security between the Philippines and Canada.
The aircraft carrying the Philippine delegation landed at Vancouver International Airport at 4:46 p.m. local time (7:46 a.m. in Manila).
In his departure statement, the President said his visit came as the Philippines and Canada continued to strengthen ties across various sectors.
“With Canada, we have seen an unprecedented momentum in the deepening of bilateral relations,” the President said, noting that both countries have expanded cooperation in economic development, defense and security, agriculture, and people-to-people exchanges.
The President also underscored Canada’s consistent support for the Philippines’ sovereignty and sovereign rights, particularly amid developments in the West Philippine Sea.
He said Canada’s support reflected the two countries’ shared commitment to a rules-based international order, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 2016 Arbitral Award.
During the visit, Marcos will hold a one-on-one meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, followed by an expanded meeting between their respective delegations, to pursue greater collaboration in mining, critical minerals, renewable energy, trade, investment, culture, and tourism.
The President said he expected the discussions to lay the groundwork for a bilateral Plan of Action that would guide the next phase of Philippines-Canada relations.
Marcos also intends to discuss regional and global issues, including developments in the Indo-Pacific and the Middle East, while promoting the Philippines’ priorities as this year’s Asean Chair on energy and food security, maritime cooperation, and the protection of Asean nationals.
“It is thus imperative that we further strengthen this connection with our longstanding friend and partner, as we navigate the shared challenges we face as Pacific nations,” he said.
Marcos will also meet with Canadian business leaders and investors to attract more investments in strategic industries, including mining, IT-business process management, nuclear energy, telecommunications, cyber technology, and financial services.
The President will be accompanied by First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos during engagements with the Filipino community in Canada, now numbering nearly one million.
The visit marks the first official visit of a Philippine president to Canada in more than a decade, following the visit of former president Benigno Simeon Aquino III in 2015.
Former Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau last visited the Philippines in 2017.
