President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Thursday welcomed Bhutan Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay during the latter’s courtesy call, marking the first leaders’ level engagement between the two countries.
The event was also the first time the Philippine President hosted a Bhutanese leader at the Malacañan Palace.
President Marcos conveyed to the Prime Minister during the meeting that the current efforts to organize the representation for non-resident ambassadors between the Philippines and Bhutan will become more important to enhance ties, according to the Presidential Communications Office (PCO).
The President also expressed elation over the present engagement between the Philippines and Bhutan through the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) for skills training and upskilling of workers.
President Marcos likewise stressed that after the pandemic, there is a realization of the need to forge new partnerships with friends around the world, not only in tourism and cultural exchange, but also in people-to-people, trade, and investment.
Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, who is visiting Manila to attend the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) Asia Pacific Food Systems Forum (APFSF) 2026 this March, requested a call on the President on the sidelines of the event.
The Bhutanese leader’s visit is the first in the era of formal diplomatic ties between the Philippines and Bhutan since their establishment on October 6, 2025.
The meeting between the two leaders is an important opportunity for substantive engagement on priority areas of bilateral and broader cooperation.
The Philippines has been exporting commodities to Bhutan that include electronic products, machinery, and transport equipment, as well as woodcrafts and furniture.
Its top import commodities from Bhutan, on the other hand, are wine, fresh grapes, and virgin olive oil.
In terms of tourism, the Philippines welcomed 335 Bhutanese tourists as of November last year. In 2024, there were 380 tourist arrivals from Bhutan.
As for the Filipino diaspora in Bhutan, available information indicates that Filipinos work there as hotel managers.