July 16, 2025 — Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. have pledged to deepen ties between their two countries.
The two leaders spoke by phone on July 3, 2025 and discussed a range of issues.
“Prime Minister Carney emphasized opportunities to deepen Canada’s relationship with the Philippines in investment and commerce, including by advancing free trade. The two leaders agreed on the importance of a free and open Indo-Pacific, and of the efforts of both Canada and the Philippines to uphold the rules-based international order and security in the region,” stated a readout released by Carney’s office.
The summary also noted: “The leaders discussed the close economic and cultural ties between Canada and the Philippines, with nearly one million Canadians of Filipino descent.”
Carney and Marcos also “reflected on the Lapu-Lapu Day tragedy in Vancouver earlier this year and expressed their deep condolences to all those affected”.
It may be recalled that 11 people died and scores were injured when a driver rammed a vehicle through a crowd after the April 26, 2025 Lapu-Lapu festival in Vancouver.
The readout likewise stated that Carney “extended an invitation to President Marcos Jr. to visit Canada”.
“The leaders will remain in close contact,” the summary ended.
Marcos, for his part, posted on Facebook that he had a “very good conversation” with Carney.
“We discussed how our two nations can further strengthen and deepen cooperation in trade, defence and maintaining peace in our region. I also conveyed our gratitude for Canada’s swift assistance to the Filipino community in Vancouver following the tragic incident at the Lapu-Lapu Day Festival.”
“We look forward to building on this partnership for the benefit of our peoples,” Marcos stated.
Canada and the Philippines marked 75 years of diplomatic relations in 2024.
Marcos was widely anticipated to visit Canada last year as the highlight of the celebration of ties between the two countries.
To recall, then Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met Marcos on September 6, 2023 at the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Jakarta, Indonesia.
In the meeting, Trudeau invited Marcos Jr. to visit Canada in 2024. Marcos accepted the invitation. The visit did not materialize.
Meanwhile, work continued to strengthen ties between Canada and the Philippines.
On December 5, 2024, Canada and the Philippines announced exploratory discussions for a potential bilateral free trade agreement (FTA).
The two countries are also forging closer defence and military cooperation.
On March 7, 2025, Canada’s Department of National Defence and the Philippines’ Department of National Defense announced the conclusion of negotiations for a Status of Visiting Forces Agreement (SOVFA).
A SOFVA lays out the conditions for the presence of foreign military forces in a host country.
In an opinion piece marking Canada Day on July 1, 2024, Canadian Ambassador to the Philippines David Hartman reflected on the friendly ties that have bound both nations since 1949.
“Indeed, the future of our relations is bright and promising,” Hartman wrote in the commentary published by the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
“Our journey continues, enriched by deep people-to-people ties. More than one million people in Canada claim Filipino heritage—a cultural identity that has become an essential component of Canada’s multicultural fabric,” Hartman also wrote.
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