First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos expressed her gratitude for the warm welcome extended to herself and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. who is on an official visit to Canada.

The First Couple arrived at Vancouver International Airport in British Columbia on 1 July.

“We’ve arrived in Canada — where nearly a million Filipinos have built communities, shared our culture and made our country proud. My heartfelt thanks to the Canadian government for the warm welcome,” the First Lady wrote on her official Facebook page.

During the visit, the Mrs. Marcos met with Rechie Valdez, the first Filipino-Canadian elected to Canada’s federal Cabinet and the country’s Minister for Women and Gender Equality.

“Her achievements continue to inspire many Filipinos here and abroad,” the First Lady said.

A meet-and-greet with the Filipino community was also set for the First Couple.

Reliable ally

“I look forward to spending time with our ‘kababayan’ and celebrating the friendship that continues to bring our two countries closer together,” she said.

In a press conference at the Vancouver Convention Center, President Marcos highlighted the importance of maintaining firm partnerships with other countries, both bilaterally and multilaterally, to weather challenges and to attain stability.

The President said that while it is hard to predict developments in geopolitics, most countries and their leaders consider firm bilateral and multilateral exchanges, alliances and partnerships as necessary measures as they face volatility.

Marcos pointed to two differing forces that countries have to balance — one is to be stable and, at the same time, agile.

Countries moving and acting together will have a stronger base to work from to maintain stability and peace, the President pointed out.