NATIONAL
Advocates Philippines
Canada and PH to strengthen Diplomatic Ties
Photo credit: Congress PH
In a bid to strengthen diplomatic ties between the Philippines and Canada, His Excellency David Hartman, the Canadian Ambassador to the Philippines, accompanied Canadian Minister of International Development Harjit Sajjan and Member of Parliament (MP) Ms Rechie Valdez, the first Filipina elected to the House of Commons of Canada, as they paid a courtesy call on Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez at the House of Representatives on Wednesday morning.
During the meeting, Speaker Romualdez expressed his hopes for the continued strengthening of the country’s ties with Canada, citing new opportunities in trade, education, and inter-parliamentary relations as potential areas for collaboration.
He expressed confidence that these goals could be achieved with Ambassador Hartman’s help.
Minister Sajjan emphasized that the objective of the Canadian delegation’s visit was to listen, learn, and understand the plight of Filipinos, with a focus on identifying what would be best for the Philippines. He stressed that Canada was not simply seeking to advance its own interests, but to help promote the welfare of Filipinos both at home and in Canada.
MP Valdez, for her part, reported on Canada’s launch of its Indo-Pacific Strategy, which seeks to enhance and diversify the country’s economic relationships with key Indo-Pacific economies, including the Philippines. She expressed her desire to work with the Philippines to help the almost one million Filipinos staying in Canada.
She was also pleased to note that the Philippine and Canadian governments shared many priorities, such as addressing climate change, ensuring food security, promoting democracy, and protecting human rights.
Several members of the House of Representatives were present during the courtesy call, including Majority Leader Manuel Jose “Mannix” Dalipe, Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan, and several committee chairs. The meeting was seen as a positive step toward strengthening the ties between the Philippines and Canada, and exploring new avenues for cooperation and collaboration.
During the meeting, Speaker Romualdez expressed his hopes for the continued strengthening of the country’s ties with Canada, citing new opportunities in trade, education, and inter-parliamentary relations as potential areas for collaboration.
He expressed confidence that these goals could be achieved with Ambassador Hartman’s help.
Minister Sajjan emphasized that the objective of the Canadian delegation’s visit was to listen, learn, and understand the plight of Filipinos, with a focus on identifying what would be best for the Philippines. He stressed that Canada was not simply seeking to advance its own interests, but to help promote the welfare of Filipinos both at home and in Canada.
MP Valdez, for her part, reported on Canada’s launch of its Indo-Pacific Strategy, which seeks to enhance and diversify the country’s economic relationships with key Indo-Pacific economies, including the Philippines. She expressed her desire to work with the Philippines to help the almost one million Filipinos staying in Canada.
She was also pleased to note that the Philippine and Canadian governments shared many priorities, such as addressing climate change, ensuring food security, promoting democracy, and protecting human rights.
Several members of the House of Representatives were present during the courtesy call, including Majority Leader Manuel Jose “Mannix” Dalipe, Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan, and several committee chairs. The meeting was seen as a positive step toward strengthening the ties between the Philippines and Canada, and exploring new avenues for cooperation and collaboration.
Mar 2, 2023
