Singapore PM to make official visit to PH
Metro Manila, Philippines - Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong will undertake his first official visit to the Philippines on June 4 to 5 upon the invitation of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Malacañang announced.
The visit will mark Wong’s first bilateral trip since his reappointment in May, making the Philippines his first stop in strengthening diplomatic engagements in the region. It will also serve as his introductory visit to the country as head of government.
Marcos and Wong will hold a bilateral meeting on June 4, where both leaders are expected to discuss the expanding partnership, focusing on cooperation in health, climate change mitigation, and civil service development, among other key areas.
The two leaders are also expected to exchange views on pressing political and economic issues affecting Southeast Asia.
Singapore continues to be a major economic partner of the Philippines, ranking as the country’s eighth largest trading partner in 2024. Additionally, the city-state is home to an estimated 220,000 Filipinos.
In 2024, Marcos hosted Singaporean President Tharman Shanmugaratnam at Malacañang Palace, where both leaders reaffirmed over five decades of diplomatic ties and vowed to explore new areas of collaboration.
“Our bilateral relations have come a long way and have undergone immense transformation, it was an opportunity to reaffirm and renew our bonds of friendship and see how we can build upon them further,” said Marcos.
Shanmugaratnam highlighted Singapore’s long-term commitment to Philippine development.
“We see ourselves as a partner in the Philippines’ development in all aspects – economic development, sustainability, inclusive growth,” he said, expressing support for closer collaboration not only through government agencies, but also via corporate and philanthropic channels.
Marcos said bilateral ties are now “deep and multi-faceted,” citing stronger cooperation in defense and security, trade and investment, as well as emerging sectors like sustainability and energy prime minister since 2017.
