The Philippines and Canada have elevated their bilateral relations to a Strategic Partnership, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. announced, meaning the two nations are making a long-term commitment to cooperate closely on critical issues.

Canada is the sixth country with which the Philippines has elevated its ties to a strategic partnership, which goes beyond standard diplomatic and trade relations, signaling deep mutual trust and shared goals in global affairs.

It joins the ranks of Japan, Vietnam, Australia, South Korea and India, although in recent months Manila upgraded its ties with Japan to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and with Vietnam to an Enhanced Strategic Partnership.

The President made the announcement after a bilateral meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney at the Vancouver Convention Center on Thursday (Vancouver time).

“We have tasked our foreign ministers to draw up a plan of action to pursue our shared commitment to work together in adapting to shifting global realities, addressing shared challenges, and building capacities for a future-ready partnership,” Marcos said in a joint press statement with Carney.

Foundation of relations

“We recognize that robust defense and security cooperation underpins the strong momentum of our relations. Recent milestones in this pillar underscore the shared commitment of our countries in ensuring that our peoples continue to live in peaceful and secure regions,” he said.

Marcos said he and Carney welcomed the signing of the Status of Agreement in Manila and are awaiting ratification by the respective legislatures — and the signing of the Mutual Logistics Support Arrangement and the Statement of Intent on Strengthening Defense Cooperation between the Philippines and Canada.

The President said he and Carney underscored the importance of peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific and Canada’s increasing engagement in the region under its Indo-Pacific Strategy, stressing that a Strategic Partnership is defined not just by deep and close relations, but also by the reliability of the partnership.

Marcos also thanked Canada for its Dark Vessel Detection program deployed to the Philippines to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing and increase maritime domain awareness.

Moreover, the President requested continuous access to the DVD for the next five years.

Bilateral labor deal signed

A federal bilateral labor and migration agreement was also signed, seeking to strengthen protections for overseas Filipino workers through fair recruitment practices and closer government cooperation.

In a news release on Friday, Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said the agreement, signed between the Department of Migrant Workers and Canada’s Department of Citizenship and Immigration, affirms both countries’ commitment to promoting legal migration pathways while ensuring that the recruitment and deployment of Filipino workers are carried out in accordance with the laws and regulations of both nations.

“This is the first-ever federal bilateral agreement on labor and migration with Canada,” Cacdac said.

The Joint Declaration of Intent on Labor and Migration Cooperation was signed by Cacdac and Canada’s Foreign Minister, Anita Indira Anand, on Thursday.

Marcos and Carney witnessed the signing of the declaration, which establishes a common framework for labor migration between the Philippines and Canada at the federal level.

Carney highlighted the significance of the declaration, saying it was “the first of its kind” signed bilaterally by Canada’s federal government.