JAKARTA, Indonesia – Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. met on Tuesday to discuss ways to strengthen the two countries' bilateral relations.

In a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the 43rd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit and Related Summits here, both leaders highlighted the strong people-to-people ties between Canada and the Philippines, which are home to the largest Filipino "diaspora" in the world.

Trudeau noted that the Filipino-Canadian community is "vibrantly contributing" to Canada's economy and society.

"The ties between Canada and the Philippines are strong and enduring," Trudeau said.

"We are committed to working together to build a better future for our peoples," he added.

Marcos mentioned that Filipinos lauded how the "Canadian society has been open and warm and hospitable to them."

He added that the Philippines would "like to return the favor" by promoting the increased relationship between the two countries.

Marcos said that he was "very optimistic" about the future of the Canada-Philippines relationship.

"I need not hope because I am very optimistic about the future and I cannot see any obstacles to our continuing and deepening relations between our two countries," he said.

"Now, beyond the people-to-people relationship, there are so many developments going on as we have discussed before that really require the attention of everyone," he added.

The two leaders also discussed the recent developments in the Indo-Pacific region. Trudeau said that Canada is committed to working with its regional partners to promote peace and stability.

Marcos Jr. said that the Philippines is "open to working with all countries in the region" to address common challenges.

In June of 2023, Canada expanded its visa exemption initiative to include eligible individuals from the Philippines, specifically those with active US visas or individuals who have received a Canadian visa within the past decade.