Marcos, Luxon Eyeing Elevated Ties Between the Philippines and New Zealand

The Philippines and New Zealand are vying for stronger and more vibrant relationships as they work on advancing their diplomatic ties through a comprehensive two-way partnership. This was the highlight of the bilateral meeting between Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and New Zealand Prime Minister Christoper Luxon on the sidelines of the 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits and related summits held in Vientiane, Laos, last October 9 to 11, 2024.

President Marcos said the concerned government agencies are now finalising the proposed Roadmap to Comprehensive Partnership 2024-2025 between the Philippines and New Zealand.

A comprehensive partnership could indicate a broader level of cooperation between the two countries, encompassing a wide range of collaborative efforts and issues. “I think the roadmap that’s being finalised now we should have it ready by the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between our two countries,” President Marcos said.

Marcos believes that there are no real obstacles in drafting the roadmap. It's just a matter of finalising the language. This is due to Prime Minister Luxon's ongoing efforts to maintain the momentum of this particular partnership, “I think we’ve made some good progress—and continued progress on the roadmap,” he said.

To note, the two countries established diplomatic relations on July 6, 1966. One of the sectors that the two leaders are working on improving is the trade relations between the Philippines and New Zealand. This includes the negotiation for the export of tropical fruits.

Marcos shared his hope that the Philippines' durian will soon enter the New Zealand market. "We are talking about it right now with our appropriate ministries. Ours is the Department of Agriculture for the Philippines and the Ministry for Primary Industries in New Zealand. They are already in discussion on how to achieve this durian export," he said.

Luxon supported this initiative and highlighted the progress between the two countries in the agriculture sector. “I think on the economic front, we’ve talked about onions and pineapples. Pineapples are coming to New Zealand; onions are going to the Philippines, I hope. So, I think we’ve made some good progress there,” Luxon noted.

OFFICIAL VISIT IN THE PHILIPPINES

During the official visit of Prime Minister Luxon to the Philippines on April 18 and 19 of this year, both New Zealand and the Philippines reaffirmed their commitment to sustaining strong bilateral defence cooperation between the two countries. This commitment encompasses maritime security cooperation, encompassing both bilateral and multilateral activities at sea.

Both countries also share interests in preserving peace, stability, and security in the Asia-Pacific region. In their joint statement, the leaders welcomed the ongoing efforts to establish a Memorandum of Arrangement on the reciprocal exchange of information in the management of trafficking of persons between New Zealand and the Philippines.

They both agreed to explore further cooperation on combating transnational crimes, specifically money laundering, online sexual abuse, and exploitation of children, including through existing multilateral forums.

LIGHTER MOMENTS

Only on rare occasions do we see two heads of state share light moments, especially on a serious event such as the ASEAN Summit.

At the pull aside meeting, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. gifted New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon a Jollibee toy wearing the traditional Filipino barong.

The President explained that they specially made the doll for the Prime Minister to showcase the formal wear of Filipinos.

“So, the best we could do is get you this… This is special for the Prime Minister. This has not happened to everyone. If you will note, because we are presenting to your Excellency Mr. Prime Minister, he is dressed up in a Barong Tagalog. In formal wear,” Marcos said as he handed the doll to Luxon.

He added, “I asked the staff if we could bring some Jollibee food… They said, ‘Yes, we can, but by the time it gets to him, it’s already stale.”

Luxon has warmly accepted Marcos’ present with a cheerful smile, as he recalled his visit to Jollibee back in April of this year.

“We had a great visit to Jollibee. It was very funny when I said to your security staff…I said we need to go to Jollibee and they found one. It was between a service station, and all the state cars come in and that was great. And then I saw you and the First Lady eating Jollibee two or three days later,” Luxon told Marcos before taking a photo showcasing the doll.

Marcos and First Lady Liza made it to the front page of local newspapers in April when they posted a photo of their dinner on social media showing they had Jollibee fried chicken, palabok and burgers.

The President said that he was inspired by the visit of New Zealand Prime Minister to Jollibee.

Marcos even joked that his nutritionist was unhappy with the President’s decision but told her to direct her concerns to Luxon.

He even called Luxon an “honorary Filipino” after enjoying the fast-food chain’s Filipino style chicken and spaghetti.

Jollibee is the largest fast food restaurant chain in the Philippines with a store footprint of over 1,700 stores globally. It is represented by its Jollibee "bee" mascot, which is a beloved icon in the Philippines.

Since 1966, the Philippines and New Zealand have maintained strong bilateral relations.

New Zealand is one of several countries that have endorsed the Philippines' appeal for a rules-based order in the South China Sea.

-Asia Media Centre