MANILA, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday evening left for his four-day official visit to Canada, a trip upon the invitation of Prime Minister Mark Carney.
“Philippine-Canada relations cannot grow in a vacuum,” Marcos said during the send-off ceremony at the Maharlika Lounge in Villamor Air Base in Pasay City.
“I intend to work with Prime Minister Carney in adapting to shifting global realities addressing a shared challenge and building capacities for a future partnership,” he added.
While there, Marcos and Carney will have a meeting to discuss efforts to strengthen the relations and advance cooperation in key strategic areas between the two nations. They are also slated to witness the signing of agreements on energy, natural resources, trade and investment, labor and immigration, tourism, culture and arts during his visit.
The chief executive is likewise scheduled to meet with the Filipino community in Vancouver as well as roundtable discussions with business leaders and investors to promote the Philippines as an investment destination and attract more foreign investments.
Marcos is accompanied by First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and the secretaries of the Departments of Finance, Trade and Industry, Foreign Affairs, Environment and Natural Resources, and the Presidential Communications Office.
This is the first time a sitting Philippine leader makes an official visit to the northern American country since former president Benigno Simeon Aquino III in 2015.
Executive Secretary Ralph Recto, Labor SecretRy Francis Tolentino, and Agrarian Reform Secretary Conrado Estrella 3rd were named as caretakers of the government until he returns on July 5.
The three-member panel will oversee and ensure the operations of the executive branch.
