During the meeting, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Nguyen Van Duoc congratulated Ms. Querobine Deapera Laccay on her appointment as the first Consul General of the Philippines in Ho Chi Minh City. He noted that her tenure coincides with key milestones, including the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two nations (1976–2026) and the elevation of bilateral ties to an Enhanced Strategic Partnership.
Building on existing foundations, the municipal leader expressed hope that both sides would further advance cooperation across multiple sectors and maintain high-level delegation exchanges to solidify political ties. As ASEAN members, Vietnam and the Philippines should also closely coordinate at multilateral forums to maintain a unified voice on regional and global issues.
Following recent administrative restructuring, Ho Chi Minh City’s expanded spatial footprint has opened up greater opportunities to attract foreign direct investment (FDI), including from Philippine enterprises. To achieve its goal of becoming a major regional and global hub, the city aims to mobilize substantial resources, particularly in infrastructure, clean energy, science, technology, education, and healthcare.
Impressed by the dynamic growth of Ho Chi Minh City, Ms. Querobine Deapera Laccay stated that the establishment of the Philippine Consulate General aims to promote trade, investment, cultural, and educational cooperation with Vietnam in general and Ho Chi Minh City in particular.
She added that the Philippine government seeks to expand economic ties with the goal of raising two-way trade volume with Vietnam to US$10 billion in the near future. Local-level cooperation will play a pivotal role in fulfilling targets set by high-level leaders of both countries.
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