First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos continued her working visit in Riyadh on July 18, 2025, as part of a four-day trip dedicated to engaging with the Filipino community in Saudi Arabia. The Palace confirmed that she would not accompany President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on his upcoming visit to the United States.
According to Palace Press Officer Claire Castro, the First Lady’s visit began on July 17 and will run until July 20. “She will be back on July 21st,” Castro stated during a press briefing.
Her itinerary includes visiting overseas Filipino workers, launching the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Serbisyo Caravan, and touring Bahay Kalinga shelters that house distressed Filipina workers, children, and infants.
Originally planned for early July, the trip was rescheduled to align with the administration’s continued focus on protecting and uplifting the lives of OFWs and their families, Castro added.
This was the First Lady’s first time this year to miss a foreign engagement with the President. Her absence comes amid renewed public interest in her connection to the death of Filipino businessman Juan Paolo “Paowee” Tantoco in Los Angeles last March.
Reports from Hollywood LA News claimed Tantoco was part of Araneta-Marcos’ entourage for the Manila International Film Festival events in the US. However, Malacañang has denied these claims, distancing the First Lady from the incident.
Araneta-Marcos also skipped President Marcos’ visit to Washington in April 2024, where he met with then-US President Joe Biden and then-Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.