Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. will host Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. in Manila this week for an official visit.
Before arriving in Manila on Feb. 23, Whipps attended the Pacific Islands Forum Talanoa in Fiji, where discussions focused on deep-sea mining—weighing its benefits against impacts on ocean life.
During their bilateral meetings, Marcos and Whipps are expected to discuss expanding cooperation on fisheries, trade, investment, connectivity, and people-to-people ties. They will also explore new areas of collaboration such as health and labor initiatives based on a press release from Marcos' office. Additionally, they plan to address South-South cooperation issues along with regional concerns and shared advocacy efforts at multilateral forums.
There are four memoranda of understanding (MOUs) that are anticipated: one each for fisheries and air services agreements plus two related to government labor matters. According to Minister Steven Victor, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Environment, said the Philippines had rolled out in 2024 a new Technical Cooperation Program for the Pacific, which would, among other things, provide technical support and training related to agriculture and fishing.
“Because we’ve been in discussions with them for two years, we’re the first to participate in the program,” Victor said, adding he's looking forward to finalizing the MOU.
There are almost 3,000 Filipinos living and working in Palau make up nearly 17% of Palau’s population. In 2027, the two neighboring countries will celebrate the milestone 30th anniversary of the establishment of Philippines-Palau diplomatic relations. mbj