What Will Success Look Like in the Canada–Philippines Strategic Partnership?

As Canada seeks to turn its Indo-Pacific Strategy into concrete action, and as the Philippines holds the chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s official visit to Canada this July deserves attention not simply for what was announced, but for what the agreement may yet enable. It comes against the backdrop of a Filipino Canadian community that now exceeds one million people, who play an increasingly important role in Canada’s economic, political, and social life.

In their Joint Statement, Prime Minister Carney and President Marcos agreed to elevate bilateral relations to a Strategic Partnership. They committed to deeper cooperation in defence and security, trade and investment, labour mobility, energy, education, development, and people-to-people ties. The announcement included the launch of bilateral free-trade negotiations, a new labour and migration framework, expanded defence cooperation, and initiatives to strengthen economic and educational connections between the two countries.

While the envisioned enhanced cooperation is extensive, the commitments outlined in the agreement will ultimately be judged by their impact on three distinct constituencies: Canadians, Filipinos in the Philippines, and Filipino Canadians.

Canada’s Strategic Interests and Democratic Commitments 

For Canada, the Strategic Partnership is closely tied to broader efforts to diversify trade, strengthen supply chains, expand cooperation in critical minerals and energy, and reinforce regional stability in the Indo-Pacific. These objectives reflect Canada’s growing interest in building resilient economic and strategic relationships outside its traditional partners. But current strategic interests should be carefully balanced with Canada’s earlier emphasis on progressive values, such as human rights.

Human rights organizations and civil society groups have consistently raised concerns that expanding defence and economic cooperation could diminish attention to human rights and democratic accountability. Advocacy groups such as BAYAN and the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines have also criticized the increasing militarization of the Philippines, arguing that the Marcos Jr. administration’s alignment with foreign partners, including Canada, reinforces corruption, intensifies militarization, perpetuates human rights violations, and erodes national sovereignty. 

Supporters of closer ties see deeper engagement as a pragmatic response to changing geopolitical realities and an extension of Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy. For the Philippine government, China’s increasing aggressiveness in the West Philippine Sea is an especially important matter that has led the Marcos Jr. government to seek enhanced security relations with Western countries.

Foreign policy is often framed as a choice between principles and interests. It should not be. Canada should ensure that both remain central. A stronger Canada–Philippines strategic relationship should not come at the expense of Canada’s long-standing commitment to human rights, democratic governance, labour rights, and respect for the rule of law. If the Strategic Partnership is to be credible, Canada must be prepared to pursue economic and security cooperation while continuing to raise difficult issues when necessary.

For Filipinos in the Philippines, the value of the partnership will depend on whether it delivers inclusive growth in a political system that continues to struggle with patronage, dynastic power, and uneven development. Enduring progress depends not simply on investment or economic growth, but on strong institutions capable of distributing opportunities broadly and fairly. One measure of success will be whether the benefits of closer Canada–Philippines ties are felt in remote, rural, and impoverished communities across the archipelago rather than concentrated in urban centres like Manila or Makati. 

Filipino Canadians Must Be Treated as Stakeholders 

For Filipino Canadians, the relationship carries a different set of expectations. Too often, diaspora communities are celebrated as symbols of friendship between countries while being excluded from discussions about the policies that directly affect them. As one of Canada’s largest and fastest-growing communities, Filipino Canadians should be treated not merely as a bridge between Canada and the Philippines, but as stakeholders in the relationship itself. 

Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy reinforces this principle, noting that stronger people-to-people ties can be achieved by fostering “greater inclusion of Canadian diaspora communities of Indo-Pacific heritage through expanded cultural initiatives.” Meaningful engagement with Filipino Canadian communities would help ensure that their perspectives and concerns are reflected in the strengthening of the bilateral relationship between Canada and the Philippines.

The newly announced Joint Declaration of Intent on Labour and Migration is especially important because of its potential to strengthen worker protection and improve labour mobility. However, Filipino Canadians – who are an integral part of the Canadian workforce – have long raised broader concerns that extend beyond labour recruitment. These include foreign credential recognition, occupational mobility for internationally educated professionals, pathways to permanent residency, and efforts to combat anti-Asian racism and discrimination. As Canada’s new government works to strengthen international partnerships to create greater prosperity, security, and opportunities for Canadian workers in an increasingly volatile world, a successful Canada–Philippines Strategic Partnership should prioritize these specific concerns of the Filipino Canadian diaspora community.

The growing demographic importance of Filipino Canadians adds another dimension to that discussion. Statistics Canada reports that more than 957,000 people identified as Filipino in the 2021 Census. This makes Filipinos the fourth-largest racialized group in Canada. In 2041, the community is projected to reach between 1.7 million and 2.4 million people. 

Yet the data reveal a persistent disconnect between educational attainment and labour-market outcomes. Among racialized populations, Filipinos have the highest share of post-secondary credentials obtained outside Canada, as well as a higher share than the non-racialized, non-Indigenous population. Despite these qualifications, nearly half of core working-age Filipinos with a bachelor’s degree or higher are overqualified for their jobs. This is more than four times the rate of the non-racialized, non-Indigenous population. Filipinos are also less likely to work in professional and management occupations and more likely to be employed in semi-skilled, labour, and entry-level jobs. 

If Ottawa truly views the Filipino Canadian community as a strategic asset, then the Canada–Philippines relationship must be measured not only through the conventional sectors of trade, migration, and defence, but also through its ability to address the issues that matter most to the community. The concerns of the diaspora – improving foreign credential recognition, strengthening pathways to permanent residency, combating anti-Asian racism – should be seen as deeply intertwined with the broader bilateral relationship. 

A mature Canada–Philippines partnership would expand economic co-operation while protecting labour rights; deepen security co-operation while preserving candid discussion of human rights and democratic accountability; and strengthen people-to-people ties by creating real pathways to professional opportunity for Filipino Canadians. The test is not whether Ottawa can announce more agreements. It is whether the partnership produces broadly shared gains while remaining anchored in democratic values.