Vietnam President To Lam arrives in PH for 2-day state visit

Vietnamese President and Communist Party General Secretary Tô Lâm arrived in Manila on Sunday for a two-day state visit to the Philippines from May 31 to June 1, 2026.

Lâm’s visit marks the first state visit to the Philippines by Vietnam’s top party leader.

He arrived at 12:40 p.m. at Villamor Air Base in Pasay City aboard a Vietnam Airlines flight, together with his wife, Ngô Phương Ly, and was accorded arrival honors.

He was welcomed by Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. on behalf of the Philippine government.

According to the Presidential Communications Office, the visit coincides with the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Vietnam and 10 years of their strategic partnership.

Before President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. formally receives Lâm at the Kalayaan Grounds in Malacañang Palace on Monday morning, the Vietnamese leader is scheduled to lay a wreath at the Rizal Monument in Manila.

Marcos and Lâm are expected to hold bilateral talks aimed at deepening cooperation in trade and investment, food security, defense and maritime affairs, education, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges.

The two leaders will also witness the signing of agreements and hold a joint press conference, followed by a state luncheon hosted by Marcos in honor of the Vietnamese leader.

Vietnam remains the Philippines’ only strategic partner in Southeast Asia and hosts more than 7,000 Filipinos. The Philippines is also set to open a consulate general in Ho Chi Minh City by mid-2026.—MCG, GMA News