By Brian Campued
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s agenda in July will open with high-level engagements as he is set to undertake an official visit to Canada on July 1-4 upon the invitation of Prime Minister Mark Joseph Carney.
In a statement Friday, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) noted that the President’s official travel in Ottawa marks the first official visit of a Philippine president to the North American country “in more than a decade,” following the late President Benigno Aquino III’s visit in 2015.
“The President will be accompanied by First Lady Louise Araneta-Marcos during engagements with the Filipino community in Vancouver, British Columbia, in recognition of the vital contributions of overseas Filipinos to both countries and to the enduring ties between the Philippines and Canada,” the PCO said.
During the visit, President Marcos Jr. and Prime Minister Carne will hold a bilateral meeting as part of efforts to strengthen the partnerships and advance cooperation in key strategic sectors between the two countries.
Aside from assessing existing defense and security engagements as well as efforts to expand trade and investment ties, the two leaders are also expected to explore deeper cooperation on economy, energy, and critical minerals, and people-to-people linkages.
The Philippines currently maintains visiting forces arrangements with Canada, along with other key defense partners, such as the United States, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and France.
The Status of Visiting Forces Agreement (SOVFA) between Manila and Ottawa was signed by Department of Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and Canadian Defense Minister David McGuinty in 2025, allowing troops from both countries to train and operate in each other’s territory.
On June 11 this year, Teodoro and McGuinty signed a Mutual Logistics Support Arrangement (MLSA) and a Statement of Intent to streamline the exchange of logistical support, equipment, and services during joint exercises and operations between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Canadian Armed Forces.
Meanwhile, the PCO said that Marcos Jr. and Carney will also discuss strategic priorities for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) under the chairship of the Philippines.
“Canada has been an ASEAN Dialogue Partner since 1977 and has maintained a Strategic Partnership with ASEAN since 2023,” the administration’s lead communications arm added.
Similar to his previous foreign visits, President Marcos Jr. will likewise put on his salesman hat during his engagements with Canadian business leaders in order to attract more investments in critical sectors, including information technology, business process management, artificial intelligence and critical infrastructure, critical minerals, and other high-growth industries.
The Philippines and Canada formally established diplomatic relations on Dec. 4, 1949, and marked their milestone 75th anniversary in 2024.
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