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Alexis Romero - The Philippine Star
March 20, 2026 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — The diplomatic ties between the Philippines and Bhutan yesterday achieved a historic first with the meeting of President Marcos and Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay at Malacañang.
Tobgay’s courtesy call on Marcos is the first leaders’ level engagement between the two countries, which established diplomatic relations on Oct. 6, 2025. It also marked the first time that a Philippine president hosted a Bhutanese leader at the Palace.
“The meeting between the two leaders is an important opportunity for substantive engagement on priority areas of bilateral and broader cooperation,” the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said in a statement.
Tobgay is in the country to participate in the Asian Development Bank’s Asia Pacific Food Systems Forum 2026 this month. He requested a call on Marcos.
During the meeting, Marcos talked about the ongoing efforts to organize the representation for non-resident ambassadors between the Philippines and Bhutan, saying they would become more important to strengthen relations.
According to the PCO, Marcos is pleased with the present engagement between the two countries through the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority for the 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,” the PCO said.
The Philippines’ exports to Bhutan include electronic products, machinery, transport equipment, woodcrafts and furniture
Its top imports from the South Asian country are wine, fresh grapes and virgin olive oil.
A total of 335 Bhutanese tourists visited the Philippines as of November last year. There were 380 tourist arrivals from Bhutan in 2024. Filipinos in the landlocked Himalayan kingdom work as hotel managers.
