Good morning.
President Marcos Jr., it is a great pleasure to welcome you to Vancouver. I trust we will make you feel at home, because the Filipino community is at the heart of Canada.
Canada is home to more than one million Filipino Canadians – nearly 200,000 reside right here in beautiful British Columbia.
They are doctors, nurses, and caregivers who help their fellow Canadians in their most critical moments.
They are the entrepreneurs whose businesses have become gathering places for families and friends: from local restaurants like Plato Filipino in downtown Vancouver to global icons like Jollibee.
Filipino culture is proudly celebrated in the music, dance, and art of our festivals, including the Kamayan Fest and the Pinoy Festival.
All Canadians joined the Filipino community to support each other after the Lapu-Lapu tragedy. We are one people united in diversity and humanity.
Filipino Canadians are helping to lead our nation, including my colleague Rechie Valdez, as Canada’s first Filipina Member of Parliament and Canada’s first Filipina Cabinet Minister.
The Filipino community has helped build the Canada we know today – a Canada that is stronger, richer, and more vibrant because of the people who have chosen to make it their home.
This relationship extends across the Pacific to the Philippines where we share an enduring friendship and a deepening trade and security relationship.
The Filipino community in Canada is part of the bridge that links our two countries together.
A relationship that we are building on today.
Mr. President, your visit comes at a pivotal moment for Canada, the Philippines, and our peoples.
The world is more divided and dangerous. Old alliances are being tested, while new threats emerge. At the same time, enormous opportunities are opening up in commerce, technology, energy, and culture.
In this rapidly changing world, Canada is deepening our partnerships with countries who share our values and our ambitions.
To that end, Canada is deepening trade and investment across ASEAN – the fastest-growing region in the world – and nowhere is that more important than with the Philippines.
President Marcos Jr., under your Chairship of ASEAN, we are moving with urgency to conclude negotiations on a Canada-ASEAN free trade agreement by the end of this year. This agreement will reduce or fully eliminate tariffs on Canadian exports to ASEAN countries – giving Canadian workers and businesses greater access to a $5 trillion market of over 700 million people.
And critically, we are finalising negotiations on a Canada-Philippines free trade agreement, set to conclude this year.
The Philippines is one of Southeast Asia’s fastest-growing economies, with a population of more than 100 million people.
This agreement is expected to triple bilateral trade by 2035 – creating massive opportunities for our businesses.
This free trade agreement will be the foundation of a new Canada-Philippines Strategic Partnership.
Together, we are launching a new era of cooperation – deepening our collaboration in trade, energy, defence, and tourism.
As part of this partnership, we are announcing a Joint Declaration of Intent on Energy and Natural Resources Cooperation and a new Technical Assistance Partnership.
Canada is already among the top five global producers for 10 different critical minerals, and the Philippines is the world’s largest exporter of nickel ore and a major producer of critical minerals like cobalt and copper.
Together, Canada and the Philippines are leveraging their resources to strengthen critical mineral supply chains and to bring more critical minerals from both countries to global markets.
Economic cooperation must be reinforced by shared security.
That’s why Canada and the Philippines are deepening our collaboration in maritime security and multinational military operations.
We will soon ratify the Status of Visiting Forces Agreement, enabling our armed forces to train and operate more closely together through joint military exercises in both countries – reinforcing our collective security.
We will strengthen the ties between our peoples, which have long united our two countries, because the relationship between Canada and the Philippines is built not only on trade but also on people.
Today, we signed two Memoranda of Understanding that will boost tourism and promote cultural and artistic cooperation, making it easier for Canadians and Filipinos to more easily discover all that our countries have to offer.
We also signed the Joint Declaration of Intent on Labour and Migration to strengthen protections for migrant workers and promote ethical recruitment.
Filipino workers make extraordinary contributions to communities across Canada. We will ensure they are treated fairly, can work safely, and have their rights protected.
Together, we are building a future where peace is sustained through cooperation, where prosperity is shared, and where opportunity is open to all.
A future will be built through partnership.
President Marcos Jr., thank you for your leadership – of your country, of ASEAN, and on the global stage. And thank you for building our future together.