Formal relations between the Philippines and Canada began in 1949 when Canada established a trade mission to the country. In 1972, the mission was upgraded to a full embassy.
The Canadian Embassy in Manila is located in Makati City. Canada also has a consulate in Cebu province.
In Canada, the Philippines is represented by an embassy in Ottawa, two consulates general in Toronto and Vancouver, and honorary consular offices in Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, St. John’s, Halifax and Charlottetown.
In 2014, Canada ranked as the Philippines’ 20th-biggest trading partner, 14th export market and 27th import source. In the same year, Philippine
exports to Canada amounted to $597.57 million.
Canada is the country’s eighth-biggest market for tourism, and ranks fourth when it comes to hosting the most number of overseas Filipinos.
760,000 Filipino migrants
According to the latest figures from the Commission on Filipinos Overseas, there are more than 852,000 Filipinos in Canada. The figure includes almost 760,000 immigrants and more than 87,000 temporary workers who are expected to return home when their contracts end.
Around 5,000 Filipinos in Canada are classified as irregular or not properly documented.
On the other hand, according to the Canadian Embassy in Manila, there are approximately 15,000 Canadians residing in the Philippines.
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper visited the country in 2012. At a joint news conference, President Aquino and Harper announced that the Philippines’ Department of National Defense and the state-run Canadian Commercial Corp. had signed a deal to help Manila buy military equipment to defend its territory.
The deal was signed amid a territorial dispute between the Philippines and China over islands and waters in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).
Aquino’s visit to Canada from May 6 to 9 this month will mark the first state visit of a Philippine President to Canada since the visit of former President Fidel V. Ramos in 1997.–Compiled by Marielle Medina
Sources: DFA, gov.ph, Canadian Embassy in Manila, Embassy of the Philippines in Ottawa