MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will embark on a four-day state visit to Canada from July 1 to 4, aiming to deepen bilateral cooperation in trade, defense, energy, and investment between the two countries.
According to the Presidential Communications Office (PCO), President Marcos will meet Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in Vancouver to discuss expanding economic cooperation, enhancing defense relations, and strengthening people-to-people exchanges.
The two leaders are also expected to tackle collaboration in energy security, critical minerals, and measures to improve economic resilience. They will likewise exchange views on the Philippines’ upcoming chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and other regional priorities.
Trade negotiations will also be among the key agenda items, particularly efforts to accelerate the proposed Canada-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement. The Department of Trade and Industry earlier projected that such an agreement could boost the Philippine economy by about 2.63 percent, or roughly $7.4 billion annually, based on a joint feasibility study.
Canada has steadily expanded its economic footprint in the Philippines through the establishment of an Indo-Pacific Agriculture and Agri-Food Office in 2023 and an Export Development Canada office in 2024.
During the visit, President Marcos will also meet Canadian business executives and investors involved in information technology, business process management, artificial intelligence, critical infrastructure, mining, and other high-growth industries.
First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos will accompany the President during engagements with the Filipino community in Vancouver. Canada is home to nearly one million people of Filipino descent, making it one of the country’s largest overseas Filipino communities.
Prime Minister Carney emphasized the strong people-to-people ties between Canada and the Philippines, expressing optimism that the visit would further expand cooperation and strengthen bilateral relations.
The trip marks the first official visit by a Philippine president to Canada since the 2015 visit of former President Benigno Aquino III and will be President Marcos’ 44th overseas trip since assuming office in 2022.
The visit also comes as Manila and Ottawa continue expanding defense cooperation. Earlier this month, both countries signed new defense logistics and military cooperation agreements, building on the Status of Visiting Forces Agreement signed in 2025, which is still awaiting ratification.
Canada likewise participated for the first time as an active participant in this year’s Balikatan military exercises, joining the Philippines, the United States, Australia, France, Japan, and New Zealand in the annual drills.
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