President Benigno Aquino is popular among Filipino-Canadians for his efforts to tackle corruption and build the economy.Ted Aljibe/AFP / Getty Images
Philippine President Benigno Aquino will visit Canada next month, offering the Conservative government a key opportunity to court Filipino-Canadians ahead of this fall's federal election.
Mr. Aquino will arrive in early May for a visit that is expected to take him to several Canadian cities, including Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver. The trip will take place just weeks after a high-profile visit to Canada by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The Philippine President is expected to meet with Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Governor-General David Johnston in Ottawa. From there, he will likely travel to Toronto and Vancouver, cities with large numbers of Filipino-Canadians. He may also make stops in Calgary and Winnipeg, said Carmelita Tapia, president of the Southeast Asia Canada Business Council, who has been in contact with people involved in the delegation about Mr. Aquino's visit. "Everybody's excited, because for us he's a breath of fresh air from the past government," Ms. Tapia said.
Mr. Aquino was elected in 2010 and is popular with many Filipino-Canadians for his promises to tackle corruption and expand his country's economy. However, he has faced criticism at home in recent months over a botched anti-terror raid on the island of Mindanao that resulted in the deaths of 44 police officers.
More than 800,000 people in Canada trace their roots to the Philippines, according to the Canadian government.
Mr. Harper last met with Mr. Aquino in November, 2014, when both were in China for an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting.
"Prime Minister Harper and President Aquino will focus on growing our trade relationship, in addition to countering threats to global security," a spokesman for the Prime Minister's Office said in an e-mail. "Our government's aim is to strengthen our economy and create jobs on both sides of the Pacific."