Marcos visits Australia again for ASEAN summit

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Sunday made his second trip to Australia in just one week to attend a special summit with Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states. 

Marcos said the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit in Melbourne is an opportunity for the government to reiterate the country’s position on regional and international issues.

The president added he will use the event to express the Philippines’ gratitude to Australia for “its unwavering support for the rule of law, for the 1982 UNCLOS and the 2016 Arbitral Award” as well as assistance provided through capacity-building and academic initiatives.

Marcos will hold bilateral meetings with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon.

He will also meet with the Filipino community in Melbourne. There are around 408,000 Filipinos in Australia, contributing primarily in fields of professional services, sales, agriculture, forestry and fisheries, and management.

Marcos will participate in the Philippine Business Forum led by the trade department, and deliver a keynote speech at the Lowy Institute.

Last week, Marcos told Australia’s Parliament that the Philippines was on the “frontline” of a battle for regional peace and vowed to remain firm in defending the country’s sovereignty. 

He also met with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and signed agreements to strengthen cooperation on cyber technology, civil and defense maritime matters between the Philippines and Australia. — Gaea Katreena Cabico