Philippine President Benigno S. Aquino’s state visit to Canada is all set from May 7 to 9, 2015 at the invitation of Canadian Governor General David Johnston. This is the first State Visit of a Philippine President to Canada after 18 years since former President Fidel V. Ramos visited in 1997.
After stopping in Ottawa, he will visit Toronto, Winnipeg and Vancouver, all cities with sizeable Philippine communities including a short stop to Chicago to meet members of the Philippine-American community there.
President Aquino will meet the Filipino community in B.C. on Saturday, May 9th 2015 in an exclusive gathering at the Vancouver Convention Center.
This year the Philippines chair the annual APEC process and will play host to the APEC summit in Manila in November. Canada, also an APEC member, has been working hard to re-establish its credibility as a worthwhile interlocutor for APEC, and in particular ASEAN (Association of South-East Asian Nations) countries. The ASEAN response has been correct but cautious, waiting for Canada to demonstrate convincingly that it is prepared to sustain its newfound interest in Asia, observes Hugh Stephens, senior fellow at the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada and the Canadian Defense and Foreign Affairs Institute, a Calgary-based research institute, in his report to the Globe and Mail.
“Sharon and I are looking forward to welcoming President Aquino to Rideau Hall on the occasion of his State visit to Canada,” Governor General Johnston said.
“This will be an opportunity for Canada to further build on its strong and long-standing relationship with the Philippines, and to discuss areas of common interest such as building on people-to-people ties, strengthening our trade and investment relationship, and expanding co-operation on development and regional security,” he added.
President of the Philippines Benigno S. Aquino III converses with Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada. (Photo by: Benhur Arcayan / Malacañang Photo Bureau).
Prime Minister Stephen Harper also welcomed the upcoming visit Thursday by President Aquino. Both are expected to witness the signing of bilateral agreements on labor cooperation, development assistance and infrastructure development.
“Canada and the Philippines enjoy a close friendship based on shared democratic values and strong people-to-people ties. I look forward to meeting with President Aquino to further strengthen the bonds between our two countries, including in the areas of trade, investment, development and security, benefitting the citizens of both nations,” Prime Minister Stephen Harper declared.
Philippines’ Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Maria Andrelita Austria said that President Aquino wanted to reciprocate the visit made by the Prime Minister Stephen Harper in the Philippines last November 2012.
Austria also said that the state visit would acknowledge and uphold Canada’s move to strengthen relations with the Philippines to its designation of the Philippines as a priority emerging market and a country of focus;
Canada is the Philippines’ 21st largest trading partner, its 6th top source market for tourism. In 2014, Canada announced that the Philippines had been designated a Country of Focus for development assistance, and a Priority Emerging Market for Canadian overseas trade and investment.
Austria confirmed that the expanding trade and investment, as well as cooperation on a range of issues, including development and countering threats to regional and global security would be the centre of the discussion.
The rising controversy between the Philippines and China over the disputed West Philippine Sea is expected to be part of the dialogue.
The State Visit will also be a way for President Aquino “to reach out to the growing Filipino community in Canada, which now constitutes a visible minority of two percent of the country’s total population,” said Austria.
The Philippine leader is expected to meet with the members of the Filipino-Canadian community in Toronto and Vancouver.
