MANILA, Philippines – President Benigno Aquino III is off to North America next month.

Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte announced Aquino’s trip in  a statement on Friday, April 24. She said the President has “accepted the invitation from Canadian Governor General David Johnston to undertake a State Visit to Canada from May 7 to 9, 2015.”

Bilateral agreements on labor cooperation, development assistance, and infrastructure development  are expected to be signed during Aquino’s visit.   

Aquino’s visit comes amid a controversy on illegally exported garbage from Canada.

In February 2014, the Bureau of Customs filed a smuggling complaint against a company that allegedly imported a shipment of garbage disguised as assorted plastic scrap from Canada.

But the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) – which first said the 50 container vans from Canada violated Republic Act 6969 (Toxic Substance and Hazardous Wastes and Nuclear Wastes Control Act of 1990) – has done a complete turn-around, saying the illegally exported garbage from Canada is not toxic and hazardous after all.

At least one environmental group has voiced concerns that Philippine government agencies are backing down on the issue because of Aquino’s planned state visit to Canada. Harper is also expected to attend the APEC Summit this November.

Aquino’s visit will be the first state visit of a Philippine president  to Canada since President Fidel V. Ramos  in 1997. Canada, home to about 700,000 Filipinos, is the 6th top source market for tourism and the country’s 21st largest trading partner.

After his Canada trip, Aquino he will go on a  one-day working visit to the United States, to meet with potential investors and the Filipino community in Chicago.

The announcement comes the same day the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) announced that Aquino will meet with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in June to bolster ties and discuss “recent regional developments,” as the Philippines and Japan face territorial and maritime disputes with China.

Aquino is also scheduled to attend the 26th ASEAN Summit in Malaysia this weekend. – Rappler.com