President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. meets with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during the sidelines of the 40th and 41st ASEAN Summit (Photo courtesy of OPS)

QUEZON CITY, (PIA) -- President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has welcomed the stronger cooperation with Canada, saying the integration of Filipinos in the North American country serves as a strong foundation for Philippine-Canada relations.

“They all seem to have become part of the workforce, become part of society. They have found their place and they had been given that place by the Canadians, and for that, they are grateful, and we are grateful. And I think it is — it serves as a very good foundation for whatever else that we feel that we can do together,” Marcos said.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, for his part, said on Sunday, Nov. 13, that there is a “huge opportunity” for the Philippines and Canada to work together in various fields to continue deepening relations between the two countries.

“I know there’s a tremendous opportunity to work together, and I’m looking forward to doing just that,” Trudeau told Marcos.

“We have some very strong Philippine Canadian members of parliament and members of my team who are very happy that we’re able to launch a new area in our friendship and our partnership and I’m very much looking forward to it,” he added.

According to Trudeau, the Philippines and Canada can collaborate to strengthen economic cooperation, build a better future, stand up for women’s opportunities, protect human rights, and fight climate change. (PIA-NCR)