The leaders of Canada and the Philippines signed agreements Thursday on power, pure sources, labour and tourism, because the international locations bolstered their shared priorities and hope for a commerce deal.
“We share the identical aspirations, by way of what we’d wish to obtain on the earth,” Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. advised reporters in Vancouver, in the course of the first go to to Canada by the Philippines’ head of presidency in additional than a decade.
Prime Minister Mark Carney had invited Marcos to go to Canada as the 2 international locations intention to have a bilateral commerce settlement concluded by the point Carney heads to Manila for a November summit.
Marcos shall be chairing the summit of the Affiliation of Southeast Asian Nations, a bloc with whom Canada can also be present process commerce negotiations.
On Thursday, Marcos and Carney oversaw the signing of agreements meant to spice up financial exercise between the 2 international locations, together with a memorandum that seeks extra safety for Filipino staff in Canada and extra labour mobility.
“Filipino staff make extraordinary contributions to communities,” Carney stated, giving the instance of care-workers and nurses. “We’ll be certain they’re handled pretty, can work safely and have their rights revered.”
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Marcos stated there are already sturdy people-to-people ties, and each international locations can craft “a mutually helpful expertise pipeline for the longer term” involving extra sectors of the economic system.
“To unleash this full potential, it’s important that Filipino professionals are capable of observe their professions in Canada. On this regard, we’ll convey our hope that Canada’s federal and provincial governments will proceed working collectively,” Marcos stated.
Carney says Filipino-Canadians are “on the very coronary heart” of Canada, and each international locations can profit in power safety and significant minerals via a strategic partnership.
Practically a million folks in Canada recognized as Filipino within the 2021 census.
He stated the international locations have shared values and “self-reinforcing momentum” within the relationship, with the 2 already having signed a collection of agreements involving defence.
Asia Pacific Basis vice-president Vina Nadjibulla wrote in an evaluation that the Marcos go to demonstrates Canada’s four-year-old Indo-Pacific technique is beginning to yield outcomes.
“For the reason that technique was launched in 2022, a relationship as soon as anchored primarily in deep people-to-people connections has broadened right into a extra consequential partnership spanning commerce, funding, power, maritime safety, cybersecurity and defence,” Nadjibulla wrote this week in Coverage Journal.
Canada’s work in darkish vessel detection helps the Philippines establish vessels engaged in unlawful or unreported exercise, she stated, whereas Manila has appreciated Canada’s repeated endorsement of a UN tribunal that dominated towards Beijing’s territorial claims in waters broadly understood as Philippine jurisdiction.
The Philippines is now trying to Canada for oil, fuel and nuclear know-how to shore up mineral processing, knowledge centres and superior manufacturing, she wrote, notably because the Iran battle hits Asian international locations arduous.
Nadjibulla wrote that Carney and his predecessor Justin Trudeau had visited Asian leaders overseas, however having them come to Canada exhibits an actual curiosity from these international locations. She famous current Canadian invites to Japan and India’s leaders.
“Canada’s strategic relevance additionally is dependent upon whether or not different leaders are ready to take a position political capital by coming right here,” Nadjibulla wrote.
© 2026 The Canadian Press
