The House of Representatives led by Speaker Martin G. Romualdez has adopted a resolution that would boost the cooperation between the Philippines and Vietnam through the establishment of the Philippine-Vietnam Parliamentarians’ Friendship Society.
The resolution effectively solidified the existing exchange of visits program by both countries’ respective parliamentarians and further strengthened the ties between the two nations by designating the officials and members of the parliamentarian society.
“ … To further strengthen the long-standing friendship, the Philippines and Vietnam have pledged to continue the exchange of visits by their respective parliamentarians,” House Resolution (HR) 571 said.
“ … It is the mutual desire of the Philippines and Vietnam to deepen and broaden their joint efforts towards the attainment of regional peace and prosperity, foster mutual understanding and cooperation and further strengthen the ties of friendship and solidarity between them through the friendship society,” it added.
HR 571 was introduced by Speaker Romualdez, Majority Leader Manuel Jose M. Dalipe, Minority Leader Marcelino C. Libanan, Senior Deputy Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander A. Marcos, and Tingog Party-list Reps. Yedda Marie K. Romualdez and Jude A. Acidre.
It was on July 12, 1976 when the diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Vietnam were established through the efforts of then Philippine Foreign Minister Carlos P. Romulo and then Vietnamese Vice Prime Minister for Foreign Affairs Phan Hien to sign a joint communique.
Subsequently, the House of Representatives on March 18, 1993 unanimously adopted HR 30, entitled “Resolution Organizing the Philippine-Vietnam Parliamentarians’ Friendship Society,” to strengthen and widen the scope of relations between the parliaments of the Philippines and Vietnam.
Since the establishment of the Philippine-Vietnam Parliamentarians’ Friendship Society, the two nations have deepened their diplomatic relations and understanding to promote a mutually beneficial relationship in different areas of concerns.
The resolution was passed by the House of Representatives and part of the measure designates the officers and members of this organization.
Meanwhile, improving the strategic partnership between the Philippines and Vietnam and the upcoming visit of the Vietnamese parliamentary delegation to the Philippines were among the issues tackled during a meeting between Senate President Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri and Vietnamese Ambassador Hoang Huy Chung at the Senate on Monday.
Hoang and Zubiri discussed how the Philippines and Vietnam are connected by a strong shared need to protect their respective sovereignties, as two Southeast Asian countries with similar colonial histories and current geopolitical circumstances.
Zubiri also stressed a need to “expand exchanges between our parliaments, and boost tourism and business opportunities.”
For his part, Hoang also highlighted the agricultural partnership between the Philippines and Vietnam—not just in terms of trade, but also in terms of exchanging research, development, and technology.
In fact, he said that their agricultural techniques for rice farming were adapted from the International Rice Research Institute at the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB). Zubiri himself is an agribusiness graduate of UPLB.
Furthermore, Zubiri commended Vietnam’s steady economic growth, plans, and programs, and identified their long-term vision as a model for the Philippines. With Macon Ramos-Araneta