By Charmaine Y. Rodriguez
Vancouver, B.C.
B2Gold Corp., OceanaGold, Telus, NQX among interested firms
Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. completed a four-day official visit to Canada with a report that USD2.5 billion in investment commitments and a strengthened partnership with Canada will benefit the Filipino people-both at home and the ones here.
Marcos said his meetings with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and key economic players paved the way for expanded cooperation in security, trade, investment, energy and other priority sectors.
“This move, while reflective of the deep and strong bilateral relations that we have developed with Canada, also catalyzes our next steps towards the new phase of our relations in ensuring the sustained and dynamic growth of our bilateral ties,” Marcos said in a report by the Philippine News Agency (PNA).
Among the companies eyeing business expansion in the Philippines were B2Gold Corporation, OceanaGold Corporation, Telus Corporation, and NQX.
The two mining companies will expand their gold mining and exploration activities in the Philippines. Canada is the world’s fourth largest producer of gold used mostly in jewelry and technology production, investments and banking.
The Philippines also received commitments covering critical minerals, energy, and information technology and business process management, the PNA reported.
Carney, for his part, revealed the move is part of Canada’s efforts in diversifying its trade and security partners. Canada has a continuing fallout with the US—its primary trade partner.
“In a more dangerous and divided world, Canada is focused on what we can control. We are building our strength at home and diversifying our partnerships abroad to unlock new opportunities for Canadian workers and businesses,” a press release from Carney’s office reads.
He said the Canada-Philippines Strategic Partnership will deepen bilateral cooperation in trade, energy, defense, and tourism.
Free trade agreements that allow Canadian companies to export agricultural and forest products and in manufacturing as well as agreements in culture and tourism hope to generate economic benefits for both sides.
The two countries also announced a Joint Declaration of Intent on Labour and Migration to strengthen protections for migrant workers and promote ethical recruitment. Filipino workers make invaluable contributions to communities across Canada. Canada and the Philippines will establish a framework to strengthen protections for those workers and support safe, fair, and transparent labour mobility, the statement added.
Marcos, in a press conference, admitted that the one-million strong Filipino migrants in Canada are being affected by Canada’s new immigration policies, he said he sought clarification on the status of some Filipinos in Canada who were affected by the changes.
“All we were asking is that to make very clear and very transparent exactly what the rules are, so that the Filipinos here who are already in Canada know their status. We just want to make sure they have been here,” he told reporters.
He also highlighted Canada’s sustained engagement with the Indo-Pacific region.
Marcos said Canada continues to support rules-based international order, particularly its consistent backing of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 2016 arbitral award on the South China Sea.
“I convey the hope that as we celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Arbitral Award, Canada will continue to be one of the leading voices in upholding the award as an unassailable part of the corpus of international law,” Marcos told reporters.
While they both admitted that they will to continue to work with global superpowers—US and China—both world leaders were emphatic on using the term “rules-based” in explaining their direction regarding security issues in the Indo-Pacific region.
The four-day event in Vancouver marks the first visit by a head of state of the Philippines to Canada in 11 years.
Protests in different areas in the country were organized against Marcos, including one in Vancouver, where the visiting head of state walked with Carney to a branch of a Filipino fastfood chain-Jollibee-on Granville Street for a photo opportunity.