Ireland and the Philippines have a lot of connection and have a growing relationship, the foreign country's ambassador to Manila told President Marcos.
Irish Ambassador William John Carlos made the statement during his farewell call on Marcos in Malacañang on Monday, July 8.
Carlos said it would be difficult for him to leave the Philippines as he is already attached to Filipino hospitality and the country’s rich culture.
“[What] I like about here as well is the accessibility of the people. And the humor, it’s something that we connect with,” the Irish envoy said.
“There’s a lot of connection between my country and your country. There’s a growing relationship between Ireland and the Philippines,” he added.
The President said he was very happy to know that Carlos had a wonderful stay in the country and was able to visit some places here.
The Philippines and Ireland established diplomatic relations in July 1984.
Both countries have since maintained friendly ties, aided by their interaction within the framework of various Association of Southeast Asian Nations-European Union (ASEAN-EU) fora and multilateral organizations.
In 2023, Ireland was the Philippines’ 27th trading partner, 31st export market, and 28th import source. Total trade in the last 10 years showed a net positive trend, peaking at $650 million in 2018.
As of December 2023, there are approximately 22,000 Filipinos, who are mostly in information technology, healthcare and nursing sectors, working in Ireland.