Marcos visits Singapore to deepen ties ahead of ASEAN leadership transition

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. arrived in Singapore on Tuesday for a two-day working visit aimed at strengthening bilateral relations, expanding economic cooperation and preparing for closer coordination as Singapore gets ready to assume the chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2027.

Marcos departed Manila at 5:27 p.m. aboard a government aircraft with a lean delegation and is scheduled to remain in Singapore until Thursday. The visit is his fourth to Singapore since taking office in 2022 and his 45th overseas trip as president.

The centrepiece of the visit will be talks on July 15 with Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.

According to Philippine officials, the leaders are expected to discuss expanding cooperation in trade and investment, healthcare, environmental protection, and regional and global developments.

The two sides are also expected to reaffirm their commitment to ASEAN centrality and regional stability as they prepare for the transition of the regional bloc's rotating chairmanship from the Philippines to Singapore in 2027.

Presidential spokesperson Claire Castro said the discussions would focus on creating more opportunities for citizens of both countries while strengthening cooperation on regional and international issues.

The visit follows Wong's trip to Manila in June 2025, his first after beginning a new term as prime minister. During that visit, Singapore and the Philippines agreed to expand collaboration in renewable energy and healthcare and to pursue a legally binding carbon credit agreement aligned with the Paris Agreement.

That agreement was signed in April 2026. Wong also pledged Singapore's support for the Philippines' ASEAN chairmanship, saying the two countries would work "shoulder to shoulder" as leadership of the regional grouping passes to Singapore.

As part of his programme in Singapore, Marcos will participate in a private roundtable with Singaporean business leaders organised by the Milken Institute at the Philippine Embassy. The meeting is intended to encourage further investment in the Philippines following the World Bank's recent classification of the country as an upper-middle-income economy.

Meanwhile, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos is scheduled to address the Global Economic Cooperation East Summit at the invitation of the Future Economic Cooperation Council, an India-based organisation that brings together government officials and business leaders to promote international economic cooperation.

The Singapore visit comes shortly after Marcos' official trip to Canada, where the Philippine government announced approximately US$2.5 billion (about S$3.23 billion) in investment commitments.