The Philippines’ 116th Independence Day was marked at a ceremony in Ho Chi Minh City on June 13 with the presence of the Philippine Ambassador to Vietnam, the city’s leaders and the diplomat corps in the city.

Addressing the ceremony, the Philippines’ Honorary Consul General in HCM City Le Thi Phung highlighted the achievements the country has made in all fields recently. She stressed that the relations between the Philippines and Vietnam have been developing fruitfully, contributing to the solidarity between the two peoples.

In particular, educational ties between the two countries have seen strong growth, with many Vietnamese students choosing the Philippines to pursue their study, while many Philippine teachers have come to Vietnam to work. The Philippines has also assisted Vietnam with English training.

Vice Chairman of HCM City People’s Committee Le Thanh Liem affirmed that Vietnam attaches importance to developing cooperative ties with the Philippines not only as a fellow ASEAN member but also as a neighbour with many similarities with Vietnam.

He noted that HCM City is the destination of choice for many Philippine investors, who have poured 60 million USD in 24 projects in the city.-VNA