Marcos leaves for Canada

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. left for Vancouver, Canada, on Wednesday evening, where he is expected to meet with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and court business leaders to invest in the country.

The plane carrying the President, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and the rest of the Philippine delegation left Villamor Air Base in Pasay City at 8:26 p.m.

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

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He also said, “I expect the discussions to lay the broad strokes of a Plan of Action, which I will task the Secretary of Foreign Affairs to craft with her counterpart.”

Marcos said he will also discuss with Carney ways to adapt to global challenges and build capacities for a future-ready partnership.

As chair of this year’s Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summits, the President said he will convey the Philippines’ keen interest in continuing its regional work with Canada through the Asean-Canada Dialogue and other Asean mechanisms.

He said, “A key focus is the deepening of trade and investment relations, with the goal of increasing our two-way trade and bringing the Philippines within the investment radar of Canada’s economic players—the mining sector, IT-BPM, nuclear energy, telecommunications, cyber technology, and financial services, among others.”

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“I intend to hold one-on-one business meetings and participate in roundtable discussions with private sector leaders for this purpose,” he added.

Established in 1949, the Philippines’ and Canada’s diplomatic ties span 77 years and continue to grow from “strength to strength,” according to Marcos.

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“It may not be known to many, but Canada has been consistent and steadfast in its statements of support for the Philippines’ assertion of its sovereignty and sovereign rights, especially in the midst of the ongoing issues we are facing in the West Philippine Sea,” he said.

“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,” he also noted.

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Marcos is also scheduled to meet with members of the Filipino community. Based on data from the Department of Foreign Affairs, there are 1 million Filipinos working and residing in Canada. /cb