Vietnam has pledged to support President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr.'s objective of food security, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
The commitment was made during Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo's two-day official visit to Hanoi from August 1 to 2.
The DFA stated that Manalo's visit paved the way for the two countries to explore new areas of collaboration such as the digital economy, renewables, and food security, citing the changing landscape of global security and challenges.
The Philippines imported 3.218 million metric tons of rice from the Southeast Asian country in 2022.
Vietnam's help comes despite allegations that Hanoi plans to reduce rice exports to 4 million tons per year by 2030.
During the same visit, Vietnam's Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh reaffirmed Hanoi's commitment to meeting the USD10 billion trade objective between the two countries.
Last year, trade between the Philippines and Vietnam was USD 7.8 billion.
Manalo and his counterpart, Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the two countries' seven-year-old strategic alliance during the 10th Philippines-Vietnam Joint Commission on Bilateral Cooperation.
According to the DFA, the visit highlighted the Philippines' strong ties with Vietnam, notably in sectors such as politics, defense and security, economic and maritime cooperation, and socio-cultural collaboration.
