PH, CANADA SIGN DOCUMENTS TO FURTHER ENHANCE TIES

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney witnessed the signing Thursday (Canada time) of several documents enhancing the cooperation between the Philippines and Canada.

“I am also glad to have witnessed today the signing of bilateral understandings and declarations of cooperation in the areas of energy, and natural resources cooperation, tourism, culture, and labor and migration,” President Marcos said in a joint press statement with Prime Minister Carney at the Vancouver Convention Centre.

“These agreements will help us harness the strong people-to-people ties between our two countries, as we jointly build capacities and create a mutually beneficial talent pipeline for the future.”

Among the documents signed include the memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Philippines’ Department of Tourism (DOT) and the Department of Industry of Canada on Tourism Cooperation; and MOU between the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and the Department of Canadian Heritage on Cultural Cooperation.

The Joint Declaration of Intent Concerning Energy and Natural Resources Cooperation between the Philippines and Canada and the Joint Declaration of Intent Between the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and the Department of Citizenship and Immigration of Canada Concerning Labour and Migration Cooperation were also signed.

BILATERAL RELATIONS ELEVATED

The Philippines and Canada elevated their bilateral Marcos also on Thursday announced.

“We have tasked our Foreign Ministers to draw up a Plan of Action to pursue our shared commitment to work together in adapting to shifting global realities, addressing shared challenges, and building capacities for a future-ready partnership,” President Marcos said during a joint press statement with Carney.

“We recognize that robust defense and security cooperation underpins the strong momentum of our relations. Recent milestones in this pillar underscore the shared commitment of our countries in ensuring that our peoples continue to live in a peaceful and secure region,” he added.

The President said he and Prime Minister Carney welcomed the signing of the status of agreement in Manila and awaiting ratification from the respective legislatures, and the signing of the Mutual Logistics Support Arrangement and the Statement of Intent on Strengthening Defense Cooperation between the Philippines and Canada.

Stressing that a Strategic Partnership is defined not just by deep and close relations, but also by the reliability of the partnership, the President said he and Carney underscored the importance of peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific and Canada’s increasing engagement in the region under its Indo-Pacific Strategy (IPS).

The President also thanked Canada for its Dark Vessel Detection (DVD) Program deployed to the Philippines to combat Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing (IUUF) and increase maritime domain awareness.
President Marcos requested continuous access to the DVD for the next five years.

And as the Philippines celebrates the 10th anniversary of the 2016 Arbitral Tribunal Award on the South China Sea, the President expressed gratitude to Canada for its consistent support for a rules-based order in the South China Sea, under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and in upholding the legally binding Arbitral Award.

The President likewise recognized the contributions of one million strong Filipinos in Canada whom he said “serve as the heart and soul of the Strategic Partnership between the Philippines and Canada.”

COMMITMENT TO CONCLUDE FREE TRADE TALKS REAFFIRMED

The Philippines and Canada made a renewed commitment to conclude talks on a Philippine-Canada Free Trade Agreement (FTA) before the end of the year.

“Prime Minister Carney and I reaffirmed our commitment to conclude the negotiations for a bilateral free trade agreement this year. We also renewed our commitment to increase our bilateral trade, stand against economic coercion, and build a resilient supply chain,” President Marcos said.

Among Canada’s top imports from the Philippines include electronics and machinery while its major exports include mineral ores, meat, cereals, aerospace parts, and fertilizers.

President Marcos and Prime Minister Carney had a one-on-one meeting Thursday morning, discussing the positive trajectory of the two nations’ bilateral relations and future partnership.

The Philippines and Canada actively negotiate a bilateral FTA, with talks officially launched in late 2025.

There is also a discussion going on ASEAN-Canada FTA. –