Statement by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. at the Joint Press Conference with His Excellency To Lam, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party and President of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam

His Excellency To Lam,

General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party and President of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam,

Distinguished members of the Philippine and Vietnamese delegations,

Esteemed friends from the media,

Ladies and gentlemen,

A very pleasant day to you all.

It has been a profound honor and pleasure to welcome His Excellency To Lam and his delegation to the Philippines for this historic State Visit.

This marks a momentous first, as we welcome His Excellency in his concurrent capacities as both General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party and President of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam.

Your presence today, Mr. President, is a powerful testament to the longstanding friendship between our two nations.

This visit is further distinguished by a landmark milestone in the bilateral relations between the Philippines and Viet Nam as we officially elevate our ties to an Enhanced Strategic Partnership.

This occurs on the cusp of the 50th anniversary of our diplomatic relations and celebrating a decade of robust strategic collaboration.

This elevation reaffirms Viet Nam’s unique and enduring position as the sole Strategic Partner of the Philippines in Southeast Asia.

Today, I had comprehensive discussions with President To Lam. They reflected our shared vision for long-term prosperity, collective resilience, and an unyielding commitment to regional stability, which will undoubtedly propel our bilateral relations
to even greater heights.

On Political and Security Cooperation, we have just witnessed the signing of a pivotal agreement: the renewal of the 2010 Philippines–Viet Nam Memorandum of Agreement on Defense Cooperation.

This strategically important framework will significantly bolster our joint capabilities in maritime security, military education, and disaster risk reduction and management.

As fellow claimant states, we reaffirm that maintaining peace, stability, and the freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea remains non-negotiable.

We stand resolute in our commitment to the peaceful resolution of disputes, grounded firmly in international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award.

Furthermore, we recognized the urgent need for a unified front against severe cross-border threats such as internet fraud, human trafficking, illegal gambling, and people smuggling.

We have agreed to address these challenges decisively through accelerated intelligence sharing and coordinated law enforcement actions.

On Economic and Agricultural Cooperation, our two sides are determined to expand our bilateral trade well beyond our mutual target of US$10 billion, while actively pursuing a more balanced commercial relationship.

Already, Viet Nam is the Philippines’ 11th largest trading partner. We both remain committed to fostering a highly conducive environment for two-way investments, particularly in manufacturing, green technology, and the digital economy.

Agriculture remains a vital cornerstone of our Enhanced Strategic Partnership. Moving forward, we are opening new pathways for our collaboration in agribusinesses, seafood processing, and joint scientific research for climate-resilient farming to ensure food security for both our peoples.

Likewise, the Philippines’ and Viet Nam’s new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Information Technology and Digital Transformation ensures our productive and proactive cooperation in digital inclusion, e-governance, and emerging technologies, recognizing its vital role as an engine of economic growth.

On People-to-People Ties, we commend the finalization of the Tourism Cooperation Program for 2026–2029.

Building upon a strong performance in 2025, which saw nearly half a million Filipino travelers going to Viet Nam and a rising number of Vietnamese tourists coming to our shores, we have agreed to work closely to enhance air connectivity and increase commercial flight frequencies.

We also underscored the importance of institutionalizing student and faculty exchanges to internationalize our higher education systems.

In this regard, we warmly welcome the signing of the MOU between the University of the Philippines and the Academy of Public Administration and Governance, Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, as well as the strategic partnership between VietJet and the Airworks Aviation Academy in Cebu for cadet pilot training.

Capitalizing on our shared demographic dividend of a young, tech-savvy, and highly innovative workforce, we have agreed to launch joint cultural initiatives and commercial partnerships in high-growth creative sectors, including animation and game development.

On Regional Cooperation, we engaged in a productive exchange on regional and multilateral affairs and affirmed our unequivocal mission to advance a genuinely people-oriented and people-centered ASEAN, ensuring that our strategic initiatives translate directly into safer, more secure, and truly prosperous societies.

Ultimately, our exchanges today have made one truth abundantly clear: the Enhanced Strategic Partnership does not merely secure our bilateral interests.

It firmly positions the Philippines and Viet Nam as steadfast anchors of peace, innovation, dynamism, and sustainable growth across ASEAN and the wider Indo-Pacific region.

Thank you.

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