By Chloe Mari A. Hufana, Reporter
MANILA AND HANOI expanded their cooperation in defense, economic and agriculture, and tourism as they upgraded their diplomatic ties to an enhanced strategic partnership, Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. said on Monday.
Mr. Marcos said the elevation, which takes place on the cusp of the 50th year of the two nations’ diplomatic ties, affirms Vietnam’s “unique and enduring position” as the Philippines’ sole strategic partner in Southeast Asia.
Mr. Marcos and Vietnamese President To Lam agreed to renew the 2010 Philippines-Vietnam Memorandum of Agreement on Defense Cooperation to strengthen joint capabilities in maritime security, military education and disaster risk reduction and management.
Both countries have competing claims in the South China Sea.
“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 and the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award,” Mr. Marcos said during their joint press conference.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said in a separate statement that the two leaders agreed to enhance existing maritime cooperation mechanisms, including the Joint Commission on Maritime and Ocean Affairs at the Deputy Minister level, the Joint Permanent Working Group on Maritime and Oceans Concerns, the implementation of the Understanding on Incident Prevention and Management in the South China Sea.
They will also improve the memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Maritime Cooperation between their coast guards.
“They also committed to resolve maritime incidents through peaceful and amicable means in accordance with international law,” the DFA said.
The two nations also agreed to fully use and regularly convene the institutionalized bilateral mechanisms for dialogue and cooperation, including the Joint Commission on Bilateral Cooperation, the Joint Trade Committee, defense and security dialogues, and maritime and ocean affairs consultations.
BEYOND $10 BILLION
Also on Monday, the two Southeast Asian nations aimed to expand trade beyond the mutual target of $10 billion, by fostering a highly conducive environment for two-way investments in manufacturing, green technology and the digital economy.
“Agriculture remains a vital cornerstone of our Enhanced Strategic Partnership,” Mr. Marcos said.
“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 people.”
Hanoi is Manila’s 11th largest trading partner.
The Philippines and Vietnam also signed an MoU on Information Technology and Digital Transformation Cooperation and welcomed the finalization of the Tourism Cooperation Program for 2026 to 2029, which will bolster tourism cooperation and enhance flight connectivity between the two countries.
The Philippine leader said the move builds upon a “strong” tourism performance last year, where nearly 500,000 Filipinos visited Vietnam and Vietnamese tourists increasingly went to the Philippines.
“We have agreed to work closely to enhance air connectivity and increase commercial flight frequencies,” he said during a joint press conference in Malacañang.
In a separate statement, the Department of Tourism said the cooperation covers agreements in travel facilitation, research and development, tourism management and operation, human resource capacity building and joint promotion and marketing.
They also reaffirmed their commitment to protecting and promoting human rights, safety, welfare, equality and dignity of seafarers.
The two leaders instructed their respective authorities to review and improve visa policies and arrangements for their seafarers to facilitate entry into the two nations.
“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,” Mr. Marcos said.
“We have agreed to address these challenges decisively through accelerated intelligence sharing and coordinated law enforcement actions.”
He also noted the signing of an MoU between the University of the Philippines and the Academy of Public Administration and Governance, Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, and the strategic partnership between VietJet and the Airworks Aviation Academy in Cebu for cadet pilot training.
Meanwhile, Mr. Marcos said the two nations will launch joint cultural initiatives and commercial partnerships in the creative sector, including animation and game development.
“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,” said Mr. Marcos.
Lastly, Mr. Marcos said the two nations discussed regional and multilateral affairs and affirmed their mission to promote a people-oriented and people-centered Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
“Our exchanges today have made one truth abundantly clear: the Enhanced Strategic Partnership does not merely secure our bilateral interests,” he said. “It firmly positions the Philippines and Vietnam as steadfast anchors of peace, innovation, dynamism, and sustainable growth across ASEAN and the wider Indo-Pacific region.”
