President Marcos has left Manila for Australia anew to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-Australia Special Summit in Melbourne from March 4 to 6.

Marcos left Manila on Sunday morning, March 3, less than a week after he returned to the Philippines from Canberra where he addressed the Australian Parliament on Feb. 29.

In his departure statement, the President said he will join other ASEAN leaders for the first ASEAN Leaders' engagement for the year.

"The Summit presents an opportunity to reiterate the Philippines’ national positions on regional and international issues and set the tone for ASEAN’s Dialogue Partner Summits later in the year," he said.

Marcos said there will be two main engagements in the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit, including the “Leaders’ Plenary” where they will take stock of ASEAN-Australia cooperation and propose ways forward to further bolster relations, and a "Leaders Retreat" where they will exchange candid views on key regional and international issues.

Meanwhile, the President assured the public that his administration will continue to ensure that the Philippines’ constructive engagements with ASEAN and stakeholders will best serve the country’s national interest and promote the region’s peace, stability, security, and prosperity.

In addition, he said the Summit serves as an opportunity for the Philippines to thank Australia for its "unwavering support" for the rule of law through timely statements of support as well as the capacity-building and academic initiatives to mainstream appreciation of international law.

This year's ASEAN-Australia Special Summit marks 50 years of dialogue relations between ASEAN and Australia. The Leaders will focus on business, climate and clean energy, and maritime cooperation.

The discussions aim to foster stronger collaborations and partnerships between ASEAN and Australia in the years to come.

The Philippines and Australia established their formal diplomatic relations on July 4, 1946.

Australia is a second home to around 408,000 Filipinos and Australians of Filipino descent. Most of them work in crafts, professionals, services and sales, skilled agricultural, forestry, fishery, technicians and associate professionals, and managers.

In 2023, OFW remittances from Australia amounted to $301.2 million.