Speaker gives Vietnamese counterpart reso on House commitment to be Vietnam’s dev’t partner

Speaker Martin G. Romualdez on Wednesday morning welcomed the visit of his Vietnamese counterpart by presenting to him a copy of a House resolution seeking to further strengthen the ties between the two countries through the Philippine-Vietnam Parliamentarian’s Friendship Society.

Romualdez presented a copy of House Resolution (HR) No. 34 (earlier adopted as HR No. 571) to National Assembly of Vietnam Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue during their meeting at the House of Representatives.

Hue, accompanied by other Vietnamese lawmakers and government officials, arrived Wednesday morning for a three-day official visit to the country.

“Mr. President, please accept this copy of House Resolution No. 34 as a token of the commitment of the House of Representatives to be a steadfast partner of our Vietnam brethren walking lockstep along the path of mutual peace and development for both our nations,” Romualdez said who was invited by Hue to visit Vietnam.

Romualdez is the principal author of HR 34, with Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe, Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan, Senior Deputy Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander Marcos, Accounts Chairperson Yedda Marie Romualdez, and Deputy Majority Leader Jude Acidre as his co-authors.

For his part, Hue thanked Romualdez and the Philippine lawmakers for their warm welcome as he also stressed the importance of strengthening the strategic partnership between the two countries and enhancing trade and economic relations, as well as people-to-people exchanges.

Accompanying the Speaker in welcoming the Vietnamese delegation were senior Deputy Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (2nd District Pampanga), Dalipe (2nd District, Zamboanga City), Libanan (Party List, 4PS), Deputy Majority Leader David “Jay-Jay” Suarez (2nd District, Quezon), Acidre (Party List-Tingog), Committee on Economic Affairs chairperson Gerardo Valmayor, Jr. (1st District, Negros Occidental), Committee on Trade and Industry chairperson Maro Vittorio Mariño (5th District, Batangas), Committee on Ecology chairperson Marlyn Alonte (Lone District, Biñan), Committee on Appropriations Vice-chairperson Stella Luz Quimbo (2nd District, Marikina), Committee on Foreign Affairs Vice-chairperson Emigdio Tanjuatco III (2nd District, Rizal), Committee on Economic Affairs Vice-chairperson Mikaela Angela Suansing (1st District, Nueva Ecija) and Committee on Accounts Vice-chairperson Lorna Silverio (3rd District, Bulacan), Sec. Gen. Reginald Velasco, and Sergeant-At-Arms PMGen. Napoleon “Nap” C. Taas (Retired).

In adopting HR 34, the House said: “Among the ten (10) member countries of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA), the Philippines and Vietnam have developed a special relation through the years anchored on shared goals, common visions, and mutual interests for the benefit of their peoples and towards a genuinely peaceful and productive path in regional cooperation.”

“As a member of the ASEAN, the Philippines accords great importance to its continuing friendship with the member countries, especially with Vietnam, and views the friendship and historical ties of solidarity and cooperation among the Southeast Asian countries as essential elements to attain peace and prosperity in the region,” the resolution added.

To achieve its purpose of further strengthening PH-Vietnam ties, HR 34 called for the continuation of the existing exchange of visits by parliamentarians from both countries and through the designation of official members of the Philippine-Vietnam Parliamentarian’s Friendship Society (PVPFS) from the ranks of lawmakers in the House.

The resolution designated the chairman of the House Committee on Inter-Parliamentary Relations and Diplomacy as chairperson of the PVPFS, with the chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs as the vice-chairperson.

Members of the PVPFS include the Deputy Speakers and the chairs of the Committees on Economic Affairs, Trade and Industry, Agriculture, National Defense, and the West Philippine Sea, along with the vice-chair of the Committee on Inter-Parliamentary Relations and Diplomacy and other members as may be designated by the Speaker.

The friendship society between lawmakers of the Philippines and Vietnam was organized nearly a decade ago, on March 18, 1993, when the House unanimously adopted House Resolution No. 30. On the other hand, diplomatic relation between the two countries was established on July 12, 1976.

It was during the bilateral meeting between President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos, Jr. and Vietnam’s Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on the sidelines of the 40TH and 41st Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summits in Cambodia when the latter announced Hue’s visit to the Philippines.

Romualdez and Hue met briefly during a break in the interaction of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) interaction with the ASEAN leaders. Hue gave the Speaker a token of his appreciation with Romualdez thanking him for the kind gesture.

During the same meeting between President Marcos and Prime Minister Chinh, the two leaders also agreed to strengthen their partnership as this will enhance the two country’s relations across several areas such as defense, trade, investment, agriculture, and maritime security.

President Marcos also noted that the Philippines looks to Vietnam as an important partner in ensuring food security, with Vietnam accounting for 90 percent of our country’s rice imports.