December 6, 2024 – Manila, Philippines – Global Affairs Canada

The Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development, concluded her highly successful visit to the Philippines. While in Manila, she engaged with more than 300 representatives of over 190 Canadian organizations who were taking part in the Team Canada Trade Mission to Indonesia and the Philippines, the Canada’s largest trade mission.

Trade missions are a key initiative under Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy. The mission to Indonesia and the Philippines provided opportunities for delegates to make important connections that could lead to opportunities that support trade, economic activity and jobs. 

Minister Ng kicked off her first day in Manila with an audience with the Philippines’ President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. She also had a trilateral meeting with Cristina Aldeguer-Roque, Secretary of Trade and Industry, and Frederick D. Go, Special Assistant to the President for Investment and Economic Affairs. Their discussions touched on shared priorities, such as concluding ASEAN-Canada free trade agreement negotiations in 2025, beginning exploratory discussions on a bilateral free trade agreement and continuing to expand trade and investment growth.

During the trade mission, Canada and the Philippines celebrated the 75th anniversary of bilateral relations. Minister Ng announced a number of initiatives that will improve people-to-people ties between both countries and help Canadian businesses continue to succeed in this dynamic market to create well-paying middle class jobs, including:

• new direct flights by Air Canada between Vancouver and Manila that will help create more connections and opportunities to grow both economies, boost tourism and generate greater shared prosperity
• the opening of a new Export Development Canada office in Manila to help Canadian companies there succeed in one of the Indo-Pacific’s fastest-growing economies
• exploratory discussions on a free trade agreement with the Philippines, which will allow both countries to assess the potential benefits of the further elimination of barriers to trade and investment between them

As a dependable supplier of safe and reliable food and beverage products, Canada will continue to work with the Philippines to advance shared food security priorities. Minister Ng hosted a lunch reception at a local bistro to showcase Canadian food products, such as beef, salmon, maple syrup and potatoes, the latter grown from Canadian seed potatoes and nurtured by a cooperative of Philippine farmers from the province of Benguet.

The trade mission also provided a platform for representatives of Canadian companies to engage with key decision makers and business influencers. Minister Ng co-chaired a meeting between representatives of Canada’s nuclear energy sector and Raphael Lotilla, the Philippines’ Secretary of Energy, on nuclear energy. With the help of the representatives, she positioned Canada as a trusted and long-term partner as the Philippines develops its nuclear energy sector.

Minister Ng also co-chaired the PSAC roundtable with Mr Sabin Aboitiz, with the active participation of members of the President’s Private Sector Advisory Council, providing a platform to Canadian TCTM delegates for strategic discussion in priority areas of collaboration with the Philippine conglomerates.

Minister Ng also had the opportunity to hear about the positive impacts of women in leadership roles in the Philippines from representatives of women-owned and -led businesses and government leaders. The Minister highlighted Canada’s commitment to fostering an environment where women entrepreneurs can address challenges and thrive through initiatives like the Women Entrepreneurship Strategy and Business Women in International Trade.

Throughout the trade mission, Minister Ng witnessed many examples of Canadian-Philippine partnerships and innovation, including:

• the signing of an Administrative Arrangement between Canada and the Philippines to facilitate trade between the 2 countries in the nuclear sector
• A strategic investment by Kickstart Ventures, Inc., a prominent venture capital firm in the Philippines, in Lydia AI, a Canadian artificial intelligence company based in Toronto, Ontario
• the opening by OpenText, a Waterloo, Ontario-based company and world leader in information management, of its first Philippine innovation centre, in Manila; the centre will monitor and assess global cyber-threats and attacks
• the launch by Ostrom Climate Solutions Inc., a Vancouver, British Columbia, company, of a Philippine office that will serve as its Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-region operations hub to help address the global challenge of climate change
• the signing by FreeBalance Inc., a financial management software company based in Ottawa, and the Philippines’ Department of Budget and Management (DBM) of a contract for FreeBalance to implement the DBM’s Budget and Treasury Management System

Minister Ng welcomed the signing of a Letter of Understanding (LOU) between Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) and the Canadian Commercial Corporation (CCC) during the trade mission. The LOU creates a new partnership between CNL and CCC to generate opportunities for Canadians working in the nuclear sector, while supporting the continued growth, safety, and global competitiveness of our nuclear industry.