Ho Chi Minh City (VNA) – The Ho Chi Minh City Union of Friendship Organisations (HUFO) held a ceremony on September 16 to mark the 50th anniversary of Vietnam-Philippines diplomatic relations (1976–2026), highlighting the friendship and solidarity between the people of Ho Chi Minh City and the Philippines.
Opening the event, HUFO Chairwoman Ha Thanh stressed that since Vietnam and the Philippines established diplomatic relations on July 12, 1976, the two countries have jointly built a path of increasingly extensive and substantive cooperation.
Based on trust, mutual respect and shared interests, bilateral relations have continued to grow, making positive contributions to peace, stability and cooperation in the region.
Alongside relations between the two States, people-to-people exchanges have always served as an important foundation for bringing Vietnam-Philippines ties closer to the community. Cultural, educational, academic and youth exchanges, friendship activities and community connectivity programmes have helped deepen mutual understanding, trust and affection between the Vietnamese and Philippine people.
According to Thanh, for Ho Chi Minh City, a major national hub for the economy, culture, and international exchange, strengthening friendly relations with ASEAN nations in general, and the Philippines in particular, is always of great importance. The city appreciates the presence and contributions of consular agencies, business communities, experts, students and citizens of ASEAN countries living, studying and working in the city.
The HUFO highly valued the role of the Vietnam-Southeast Asia Friendship Association of Ho Chi Minh City (VAFA) in organising people-to-people exchange activities, helping make the city’s friendship with ASEAN countries closer, more practical and increasingly intensive. Addressing the ceremony, Querobine D. Laccay, Consul General of the Philippines in Ho Chi Minh City, said that since the establishment of diplomatic relations, Vietnam-Philippines ties have matured, remained steadfast and been shaped by trust, while continuing to grow.
Vietnam has become one of Manila’s closest partners in maritime cooperation, she said. In economic relations, bilateral trade has surpassed the 10 billion USD target, with Vietnam currently being the Philippines’ 11th-largest trading partner.
Ho Chi Minh City is not only home to numerous investment projects by major Philippine businesses but also to many Philippine professionals. The Philippine community in the city has contributed to its economic dynamism and development in such fields as education, healthcare, business and creative industries, helping strengthen and develop people-to-people ties between the two countries.
The Philippine Consul General emphasised that the Philippines wishes to promote cultural diplomacy and tourism cooperation with Ho Chi Minh City in line with Vietnam’s Cultural Diplomacy Strategy to 2030, with a vision to 2045.
She thanked the VAFA for its efforts to organise meaningful people-to-people diplomacy activities, contributing to consolidating friendship and cooperation between Ho Chi Minh City and the Philippines in particular, and between the Philippines and Vietnam in general.
The ceremony took place in a warm atmosphere of friendship, featuring traditional songs and dances performed by Vietnamese and Philippine artists, as well as a friendship tea reception showcasing Vietnam’s specialty tea culture./.
