President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. arrives in Vancouver, Canada, for an official visit from July 1 to 4. The aircraft carrying the Philippine delegation landed at 4:46 p.m. on July 1 (local time), or 7:46 a.m. on July 2 in Manila. Photo courtesy of the Presidential Communications Office
VANCOUVER – President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Wednesday kicked off a four-day official visit to Canada aimed at strengthening bilateral relations and highlighting the contributions of nearly one million Filipinos living in the country.
“We have a robust relationship with Canada, and the face-to-face meeting of the President with Prime Minister Mark Carney is significant in strengthening this multifaceted relationship,” Gina Jamoralin, Vancouver consul general, told the Inquirer
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Invited by Carney to visit Vancouver during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which Canada is co-hosting, Marcos became the first Philippine president to visit the country in 11 years.
Nearly 1 million Filipinos in Canada
“(The Filipino Canadian community) is highly anticipating this visit and we are hoping for a successful and productive bilateral meeting,” Jamoralin said.
There are 957,000 Filipinos in Canada, according to the 2021 census of Statistics Canada. The Filipino Canadian community has grown fourfold since 1996 and now makes up 2.6% of Canada’s population, ranking as the country’s fourth-largest racialized group.
Marcos is expected to meet with Carney on Thursday for bilateral talks centered on strengthening economic and security cooperation between the two allies.
PH-Canada ties
The talks will also focus on “increasing ties across maritime security and defence, energy, critical minerals, tourism and culture, and food security,” according to a statement issued by Carney’s office.
Canada and the Philippines signed the Status of Visiting Forces Agreement in 2025. Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro also visited Ottawa last month and signed a Mutual Logistics Support Arrangement and a Statement of Intent on Strengthening Defence Cooperation with Canadian National Defense Minister David McGuinty.
Marcos is also expected to meet with Filipino community leaders in Vancouver, the biggest city in British Columbia (BC) province and home to about 174,280 Filipinos.
British Columbia has the third-largest Filipino population among Canada’s provinces and territories, behind only Ontario (363,650) and Alberta (216,710).
Protest rallies
While many members of the Filipino Canadian community welcomed Marcos, his visit has also drawn protests from various Filipino organizations, including the Canada chapter of the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan), and their allies in Canada.
“Marcos is not welcome here. He is the king of corruption and the invitation for him to visit here is an insult to the victims of his regime and his father’s,” Bayan Canada said in a statement.
Marcos is the son and namesake of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr., who imposed martial law on Sept. 21, 1972, and ruled until he was ousted in the 1986 People Power Revolution.
Filipino Canadian groups hold a protest rally against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in downtown Vancouver. CONTRIBUTED
About 250 protesters marched in downtown Vancouver and held a rally in front of the Vancouver Art Gallery. Protest actions were also held in Calgary, Ottawa and Toronto.
“We are still outraged that not a single government official, including Marcos Jr. himself, has been held accountable for the corruption of billions of infrastructure funds. Marcos Jr., the King of Corruption himself, even continues to spend millions in taxpayer pesos on trips abroad while the Filipino people suffer under the weight of the increasing gap between wages and prices of basic goods and services.”
They also decried what they described as continued human rights violations, including attacks against human rights advocates and progressive organizations.
“These dire conditions push over 7,500 Filipinos abroad everyday in search of livelihood and security,” Bayan Canada added. “The impact of forced migration on our people cannot be understated, with families torn apart and (Overseas Filipino Workers) enduring back-breaking work conditions and second-class rights as migrant workers.”
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