Bongbong Marcos back in PH from Vietnam

FILE PHOTO: President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is back in the Philippines after his state visit to Vietnam. Marcos arrived at the Villamor Airbase in Pasay City at 3:30 a.m. on Wednesday, January 31, 2024.| PHOTO: Official Facebook page of Bongbong Marcos

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. concluded his state visit in Vietnam and returned to the Philippines early Wednesday morning.

The Palace said Marcos left Vietnam at 10:53 p.m. on Tuesday and arrived at the Villamor Airbase in Pasay City at 3:30 a.m. on Wednesday. The Philippines is an hour ahead of Vietnam.

“We discussed areas of cooperation including defense, maritime, trade and investment, economics, education, tourism, and culture. We also witnessed the exchange of several agreements, including on rice, agriculture, culture, and maritime cooperation,” Marcos said in a video posted on Facebook upon his return.

“I also met with other leaders of Vietnam. The Prime Minister of Vietnam and the Chairman of Vietnam’s National Assembly. We discussed the strengthening of bilateral relations to people-to-people exchanges, parliamentary cooperation, and many other areas of collaboration,” he added.

During Marcos’ trip, several memoranda of understanding were signed including a five-year rice trade agreement in which the Philippines will annually import up to 2 million metric tons of rice from Vietnam.

READ: PH inks 5-year rice importation deal with Vietnam

Defense pacts were also signed, with the Philippines and Vietnam agreeing to prevent incidents that would escalate tension in the South China Sea.

Both Manila and Hanoi have territories in the disputed water. Beijing, however, has claimed that it owns almost the entire South China Sea, which plays a significant role in global navigation.