Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. departed for Australia again on Sunday, March 3, to attend the special summit between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Australia to be held in Melbourne. The event is scheduled for March 4 to 6.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese extended an invitation to Marcos to mark the 50th anniversary of the founding of diplomatic ties between the two countries, which began in 1974.

Marcos stated, "The summit presents an opportunity to reiterate the Philippines' national positions on regional and international issues and set the tone for ASEAN's Dialogue Partner Summits later in the year." He made these remarks before leaving Villamor Air Base, according to The Manila Times.

Planned Endeavors

Among other things, Marcos will restate the Philippines' stance on regional and international concerns, including its steadfast claim to sovereignty over the West Philippine Sea.

"The summit will be an opportunity for the Philippines to thank Australia, Asean's oldest Dialogue Partner, for its unwavering support for the rule of law, for the 1982 Unclos and the 2016 Arbitral Award, through timely statements of support as well as through capacity-building and academic initiatives to mainstream appreciation of international law," said the president.

Moreover, Marcos is scheduled to have bilateral discussions with the prime leaders of Cambodia and New Zealand. Also, he has a speech set at the Lowy Institute, where he will speak about how the Philippines is involved in global events and how it contributes to the regional security architecture based on norms.

While in Australia, Marcos will be able to see the development of the Victoria International Container Terminal--the country's first completely automated terminal--and take advantage of the opportunity to promote Philippine businesses at the Philippine Business Forum. Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual coordinates the said forum.

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Diplomatic Ties

Official diplomatic ties between Australia and the Philippines were established on July 4, 1946.

Almost 408,000 people of Filipino ancestry call Australia home. Experts in agriculture, forestry, and fishing, as well as technicians, associate professionals, managers, and a variety of service and sales occupations, make up the majority.

Australia sent $301.2 million in remittances to overseas Filipino workers in 2023.

According to Hae Kyong Yu, the Australian ambassador to Manila, Marcos' recent visit to Australia served to further solidify the two nations' commitment as strategic allies in molding a peaceful, affluent, and open region.

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