It will madk the first time that an incumbent Brazilian President has visited Manila within the 80 years of the bilateral ties between both countries.
On Tuesday, November 10, Malacañan Palace confirmed that Brazil President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will be making a State Visit to the Philippines this weekend, November 14 and 15, 2026.
da Silva was invited by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to visit the country as the representative of the biggest economy in Latin America and a key partner of the Philippines.
2026 also marks the 80th anniversary of Philippines-Brazil diplomatic relations, with the two countries seeking to expand collaboration in trade and investment, agriculture, energy, science and technology, defense, and technical cooperation.
President Marcos will welcome President Lula at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC), where the two leaders will hold a bilateral meeting to advance their partnership, including cooperation in multilateral fora and among countries of the Global South.
Moreover, his visit precedes the 49th Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit and Related Summits, which the Philippines will host as ASEAN Chair from November 16 to 18.
Thus, Lula will also take part in the Summit Plenary as Guest of the Chair, with Brazil also serving as the Sectoral Dialogue Partner of ASEAN.
Despite being geographically distant, the Philippines and Brazil share historical and cultural connections rooted in Christian traditions.
“These shared traditions offer opportunities to deepen people-to-people relations through cultural exchanges, tourism, education, sports, and other collaborative initiatives,” noted the Palace in its statement.
