Vancouver: The Philippines has pitched potential cooperation on trade, investment, and other areas with Canada's third-most populous province, British Columbia. Philippine Ambassador to Canada Jose Victor Chan-Gonzaga, in a news release Tuesday, said he had a series of meetings with senior officials of the Government of British Columbia to advance Philippines-British Columbia cooperation in key areas during his official visit last May 4 to 8.
According to Philippines News Agency, in a meeting with British Columbia Premier David Eby, the envoy highlighted potential cooperation on mining, infrastructure, critical minerals, and energy, as well as shared priorities concerning the large Filipino diaspora in the province, particularly on immigration and the recognition of foreign credentials. Chan-Gonzaga then invited Eby to visit the Philippines.
He also met with British Columbia Minister of Jobs and Economic Growth Ravi Kahlon to discuss trade and investment opportunities, and possible collaboration on more areas, including shipbuilding and artificial intelligence. The discussion, Chan-Gonzaga said, touched on the upcoming artificial intelligence (AI) hub in the Luzon Economic Corridor (LEC), as well as opportunities linked to the FIFA World Cup.
The LEC is a trilateral initiative between Japan, the Philippines, and the US, and has since expanded to include Australia, Denmark, France, Italy, South Korea, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. Beyond trade, Chan-Gonzaga also discussed with British Columbia officials tourism and healthcare options for Canadian and Filipino-Canadian travelers to the Philippines.
Canada remains an important tourism market for the Philippines, ranking among the top sources of international tourist arrivals in 2024, with over 200,000 visitors from Canada. "The Philippines values its strong and growing ties with British Columbia, built not only on economic opportunities but also on the enduring contributions of the Filipino community in the province," he said. "We look forward to deepening cooperation with British Columbia in areas that support growth, innovation, worker protection, and people-to-people exchanges."
Chan-Gonzaga's engagements in British Columbia also covered meetings with the Filipino community in Victoria and Vancouver; British Columbia Minister of Health Josie Osborne; Victoria Mayor Marianne Alto; Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim; and the chief executive officers of British Columbia Investment Management Corporation, LNG Canada, Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, and Frobisher International Enterprises.
