Former President Fidel V. Ramos (center) and Vietnamese Ambassador to the Philippines Truong Trieu Duong (fifth from right) led the launching of the Philippine-Vietnam Friendship Association Inc. (PVFA) . With them are (from left) Herman Tiu Laurel, Kalayaan College vice president Gonzalo Jurado, PVFA co-founder and president Eddie Ilarde, Publishers Association of the Philippines Inc. president and Asean Times publisher and editor-in-chief Luis Arriola, The Manila Times editorial consultant Alfredo Dela Rosa, Philippines Center for Advance Studies consultant Ernesto Banawis, Laguna State Polytechnic University president Ricardo Wagan, PNOC Exploration Corp. board member Luis Ma. Uranza and Rodrigo Domingo Jr.
AFTER 40 years of establishing trade and cultural exchanges, the Philippines and Vietnam have formalized its diplomatic ties with the inauguration of the “Philippines and Vietnam Friendship Association” on July 29 at the historic Manila Hotel.