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Marcos arrives in Canada for state visit, first Philippine presidential trip in 11 years

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr and First Lady Araneta-Marcos departed Manila July 1 for a four-day visit focused on a bilateral Philippines-Canada FTA, critical minerals and defense ties; the last Philippine presidential visit to Ottawa was in 2015

Leaders·Trade· active Whose Money·The Long Game ·7 takes ·

Summary

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos departed Manila on July 1 for a four-day state visit to Canada, the first Philippine presidential trip to Ottawa in 11 years. The July 1-4 visit, hosted by Prime Minister Mark Carney, centers on negotiating a bilateral Philippines-Canada free trade agreement and advancing Canada's push for critical minerals supply-chain partnerships. Meetings will also cover expanded labor mobility for Filipino overseas workers, defense and maritime security, and the stalled ASEAN-Canada FTA. Bilateral trade reached $3.4 billion in 2025 and roughly 800,000 overseas Filipino workers are based in Canada.

The split

Philippine government media framed the trip as diplomatic rebalancing that extends Manila's Indo-Pacific relationships beyond the United States and Japan. Canadian coverage led with the economic dimension, particularly battery minerals and Filipino skilled-worker pipelines Ottawa needs to meet clean-energy manufacturing targets. Some Philippine opposition commentators noted that the bilateral FTA track risks sidelining the ASEAN-Canada multilateral process, potentially undermining regional frameworks Manila has publicly championed.

By the numbers

  • $3.4 billion, Philippines-Canada bilateral trade in 2025
  • ~800,000 Filipinos based in Canada (overseas worker remittance base)
  • 11 years, gap since the last Philippine presidential visit to Ottawa (Aquino, 2015)
  • July 1-4, state visit dates

Why it matters

Canada is accelerating strategic partnerships with Southeast Asian democracies to diversify supply chains away from China, and the Philippines, with nickel and rare-earth deposits and a large skilled diaspora, is a priority partner. For Manila, the visit advances Marcos's goal of widening the country's economic and security partnerships beyond the US alliance while deepening ties with Western democracies aligned against supply-chain concentration risk.

What to watch

  • Whether the bilateral FTA secures a negotiating timeline commitment during the visit
  • Announcement of any critical-minerals joint-venture or offtake framework
  • ASEAN-Canada FTA language: whether Manila pushes to revive it or permits the bilateral track to take precedence
  • Canadian announcement on enhanced maritime security cooperation in the South China Sea context