MANILA, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who has established himself as a frequent flyer, does not intend to slow down in 2024.

For this year, the Office of the President (OP) has been provided a budget of P1.4 billion for missions and state visits, as well as P1.1 billion for traveling expenses.

The amounts are a significant increase from what the OP had in its budget for traveling purposes in 2023.

Rappler tracks the countries that the President will visit in 2024.

Updated as of Apri 22, 2024

UPCOMING TRIPS (CONFIRMED)

Singapore (May)

The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) announced on January 24 that President Marcos will be the keynote speaker at the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue, dubbed as Asia’s premier defense summit, on May 31.

As per the IISS, he will join an esteemed list of heads of state who delivered a speech at the summit in the past, such as Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

POTENTIAL TRIPS

Malacañang has yet to confirm Marcos’ visits to the following countries. The list is based on international gatherings usually attended by the President, invitations that Malacañang received, and other statements that Philippine officials made in the past.

• Laos: Laos, the chairman of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations for 2024, will host the ASEAN Summit twice this year – the first in April or May, and the second in October. Marcos has not skipped the biannual meeting since becoming president.
• Canada: Canadian Ambassador David Hartman said on January 11 that Canada was making arrangements for the Philippine president to visit Ottawa in autumn of 2024 (between September and November), as the two countries mark 75 years of diplomatic ties. Malacañang said in September 2023 that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invited Marcos to fly to Canada in 2024.
• Peru: On the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in California in November 2023, Peru’s president Dina Boluarte invited Marcos to her country to mark the 50th anniversary of the diplomatic ties between the two nations.

PAST TRIPS

Brunei (January 13 to 14)

President Marcos and First Lazy Liza attended the royal wedding of Prince Abdul Mateen, the 10th child of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and businesswoman Yang Mulia Dayang Anisha Rosnah Binti Adam.

Vietnam (January 28 to 30)

Marcos flew to Vietnam for a state visit upon the invitation of his Vietnamese counterpart Vo Van Thuong.

There, Marcos reiterated the agreements between Manila and Vietnam’s coast guards, and the two nation’s “cooperation and coordination” in the South China Sea. The two countries also inked an agreement on rice trade.

Australia (February 28 to 29)

Marcos was in Canberra, Australia on February 28 to 29. As a guest of the government, he addressed the Australian Parliament, zeroing in on security issues. He also witnessed the signing of agreements on maritime domain, cyberspace, and antitrust between the Philippines and Australia.

Australia (March 3 to 6)

The President returned to Australia on March 3, just a few days after his state visit to the country, to take part in the special summit in Melbourne between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Australia from March 4 to 6.

Germany (March 11 to 13)

President Marcos was in Berlin in March for a working visit, meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. 

The two countries signed agreements to strengthen cooperation on maritime issues and the upskilling of Filipino skilled workers.

Czech Republic (March 13 to 16)

After his trip to Germany, Marcos wrapped up his Central Europe tour with a state visit to the Czech Republic, where he met with President Petr Pavel, Prime Minister Petr Fiala, Senate President Miloš Vystrčil, and President of the Chamber of Deputies Markéta Pekarová Adamová.

United States (April 10 to 13)

President Marcos flew to Washington on April 10 to take part in the first-ever trilateral summit between the Philippines, the United States, and Japan on April 11. It was a meeting that ultimately zeroed in on the growing threat posed by China in the West Philippine Sea. – Rappler.com