Marcos seeks stronger Canada role in Indo-Pacific security

MANILA, Philippines — President Marcos wants Canada to become a more active partner of the Philippines in ensuring peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region during his meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Minister Mark Joseph Carney, as he intends to elevate the 77-year-old-old diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Marcos and his delegation departed Manila on Wednesday evening for Vancouver, marking the first official visit of a Philippine President to Canada in more than a decade, following that of then-President Benigno Aquino Ill’s in 2015.

It will be Marcos’ 44th overseas trip since assuming the presidency in 2022.

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“Canada’s consistent support, both bilaterally and multilaterally, reflects our shared interest in upholding a rules-based international order, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos), and the 2016 arbitral award,” Marcos said in his departure speech at Villamor Air Base in Pasay City.

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“It is thus imperative that we further strengthen this connection with our long-standing friend and partner as we navigate the shared challenges that we face as Pacific nations,” he added.

The President noted Canada’s “consistent and steadfast” support for the Philippines’ assertion of its sovereignty and sovereign rights, especially on issues the country is facing in the West Philippine Sea.

The Philippines is set to celebrate on July 12 the 10th anniversary of the 2016 arbitral award, which gave the country exclusive rights to explore and exploit the natural resources within its exclusive economic zone under Unclos, and invalidated China’s expansive claim in the South China Sea. Beijing, however, refused to recognize the ruling.

READ: Marcos off to Canada for official visit

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“I intend to work with Prime Minister Carney in adapting to shifting global realities, addressing a shared challenge, and building capacities for a future partnership,” Marcos said.

He would also speak with Carney about their shared view of the importance of the Indo-Pacific, the Asean, and of multilateral cooperation.

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“I view Canada’s increasing role in the Indo-Pacific as a positive force for peace, stability, and prosperity in the region,” Marcos added.

Marcos and Carney will also talk about progress in defense and security engagements and efforts to expand trade and investment between Manila and Ottawa, as well as explore avenues to bolster cooperation in enhancing economic resilience, strengthening collaboration in energy and critical minerals, and reinforcing people-to-people linkages.

The two leaders will also discuss expediting the negotiations of a free-trade agreement between Manila and Ottawa in the context of the Canada-Asean FTA, which Carney’s office said will be concluded this year.

Citing a 2018 joint feasibility study, the Department of Trade and Industry projected that the Philippines will increase its gross domestic product by 2.63 percent, equivalent to $7.4 billion a year, should the Canada-Asean FTA materialize.

READ: PH, Canada to sign deals on energy, trade, others during Marcos’ visit

Marcos said his visit would also build on a “very positive trajectory,” as Manila and Ottawa pursue new collaborations in niche areas, such as mining, critical minerals, and renewable energy.

The leaders would also undertake arrangements to harness “the strength of our diaspora as the anchor of our bilateral relations,” such as cooperation in the areas of culture, the arts, and tourism.

“I will have a one-on-one meeting with Prime Minister Carney, followed by an expanded meeting with our selective delegations to specifically pursue these collaborations as both sides look to elevate Philippine-Canada relations,” Marcos said.

“I expect the discussions to lay the broad strokes of a plan of action which I will ask the Secretary of Foreign Affairs to craft with her counterpart,” he added.

Marcos will also hold one-on-one meetings and roundtable discussions with Canadian private sector leaders, including those engaged in mining, information technology (IT), business process management (BPM), telecommunications, nuclear energy, and financial services.

The President will be accompanied by First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos during engagements with the Filipino community in Vancouver “in recognition of the vital contributions of overseas Filipinos to both countries and to the enduring ties between the Philippines and Canada.”

According to the latest Canadian census in 2021, about 1 million Filipinos live in Canada, on top of the growing number of Filipinos visiting family and friends, studying at Canadian colleges and universities, or immigrating to Canada.

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“The relationship between Canada and the Philippines is strengthened by the deep ties between our citizens. With the Filipino Canadian diaspora nearly one million strong, Canada and the Philippines are building up our partnership so it’s stronger and more expansive, and so it reflects the depth of our values,” Carney earlier said. /cb