Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. arrived in Vancouver, B.C., on Canada Day for a four-day visit, which included a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Thursday. It was the first visit by a Philippine head of state to Canada since 2015.
The visit resulted in a robust joint statement from the two leaders that highlighted the “expanded cooperation across defence and security, trade and investment, and people-to-people ties” between Canada and the Philippines. The two leaders committed to “building capacities for a future-ready partnership” and mandated their foreign ministers “to develop an ambitious and forward-looking plan of action to guide this next phase of cooperation and ensure the long-term momentum in their bilateral relations.”
The visit elevated the bilateral relationship to a “Strategic Partnership” — a label now applied to relations between Canada and China, Canada and India, and others. (Canada–Japan ties are a cut above, as a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.)
Carney and Marcos Jr. also discussed security and defence. The two countries signed a defence co-operation MOU in 2024 and a Status of Visiting Forces Agreement in 2025. Last month, Philippine Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro visited Ottawa, where he signed two more defence agreements.
Trade played a big part in discussions, too: negotiations toward a Canada–Philippines free trade agreement and a Canada–ASEAN FTA are expected to conclude by the end of 2026. In 2014, around the time of the last leader-level visit, Canada–Philippines merchandise trade totalled C$1.8 billion. In 2025, that number hit C$3.4 billion. In their joint statement, Carney and Marcos “reaffirmed their shared commitment to conclude a meaningful” Canada–Philippines FTA, though no timeline was announced.
Agri-food and seafood make up a considerable portion of bilateral trade: in 2024, Canada's agri-food and seafood exports to the Philippines totalled C$592.6 million, representing about 18 per cent of all merchandise trade. Ottawa has targeted the Philippines as a prime export destination, establishing Canada’s first-ever Indo-Pacific Agriculture and Agri-Food office in Manila in 2024. The same year, Export Development Canada opened an office in the city.
Marcos Jr.’s visit could presage more visits from Indo-Pacific leaders, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae. Carney has also invited “Chinese leaders” to visit Canada, according to Beijing.
