President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is pushing through with his official visit to Canada from July 1 to 4 despite ongoing mass rallies and political noise, Malacañang said Wednesday.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said there is no reason for Marcos to cancel the trip, which she said had long been scheduled and forms part of the President’s official duties.
Marcos is set to leave for Canada on Wednesday night.
Castro said rumors that some protesters may storm Malacañang in Manila and Camps Aguinaldo and Crame in Quezon City would not stop the President from carrying out his work.
She also said Malacañang does not believe that the Iglesia Ni Cristo, which was reportedly among the organizers of rallies in EDSA and Manila on June 30 and July 1, would be involved in any destabilization attempt.
“Matagal na rin po itong naka-schedule at kailangan din po niyang magtrabaho. Hindi po kasi siya pwedeng pahintuin lamang ng mga bulung-bulungan na mayroong lulusob sa Malacañang, na mayroong gagawa ng destabilization (This has been scheduled for a long time, and he also needs to work. He cannot simply stop because of rumors that several groups will storm Malacañang or attempt to carry out destabilization efforts),” Castro said.
“Hindi po magpapahinto ang Pangulo sa kanyang pagtatrabaho para sa taumbayan. Pero, iginagalang natin ang liderato ng INC at hindi tayo naniniwala na sila ang magiging nasa likod ng destabilization (The President will not be prevented from carrying out his work for the people. But we also respect the leadership of the INC and we do not believe that they will be behind any destabilization plot),” she added.
The INC reportedly plans to extend its rally, particularly along EDSA, until July 3.
Castro said Marcos’ visit to Canada is expected to deepen Philippine-Canada relations and advance cooperation in energy, natural resources, trade and investment, labor and immigration, tourism, culture, and the arts.
The President is also scheduled to meet with Canadian business leaders to encourage investments in priority sectors in the Philippines, including mining, information technology-business process management, telecommunications, nuclear energy, and financial services.
Marcos is also set to meet with the Filipino community in Vancouver, British Columbia, to thank overseas Filipinos for their contributions to both the Philippines and Canada.
The visit is being held upon the invitation of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Joseph Carney.
It marks the first official visit of a Philippine president to Canada in more than a decade, following the visit of former President Benigno Aquino III in 2015. Former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau last visited the Philippines in 2017.
The Philippines and Canada celebrated the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2024, reflecting a longstanding partnership anchored on shared values, peace and security in the Indo-Pacific, economic ties, and strong people-to-people relations.
Executive Secretary Ralph Recto, Agrarian Reform Secretary Conrado Estrella III and Labor Secretary Francis Tolentino will oversee government affairs while President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is in Canada.
Marcos is set to leave Wednesday for an official visit to Canada from July 1 to 4.