Marcos arrives in Canada for official visit

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. arrived in Vancouver, Canada, on Thursday morning for an official visit from July 1 to 4.

The aircraft carrying the president, first lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and the rest of the Philippine delegation landed at 4:46 p.m. on July 1 (local time), or 7:46 a.m. on July 2 in Manila.

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

Marcos is expected to meet with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and court business leaders to invest in the country during his visit.

“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.

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.”

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

“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.

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. /das /atm