MANILA – Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba met with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in Manila on Monday to bolster bilateral ties, agreeing to deepen defense, economic and regional cooperation as the two countries mark nearly 70 years of diplomatic relations.
Ishiba was on an official visit to the Philippines from April 29 to 30 at the invitation of Marcos. The visit came as both nations seek to enhance collaboration under their “Strengthened Strategic Partnership,” ahead of the 70th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic ties in 2026.
The leaders welcomed progress toward implementing the Japan-Philippines Reciprocal Access Agreement, which facilitates joint military exercises and the deployment of troops for disaster response. They also agreed to begin negotiations on an Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement to allow mutual sharing of defense supplies and services.
Japan and the Philippines also committed to advancing talks on a security of information agreement and strengthening maritime cooperation through joint training, capacity building and base development with the United States.
“We are indeed in the golden age of our relations,” Marcos said in a joint news conference, highlighting the shared commitment to peace, security and a rules-based international order.
Economic cooperation featured prominently in the summit, with both sides reaffirming their partnership under the Philippines-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (PJEPA). Ishiba pledged continued support for the Philippines’ goal of achieving upper middle-income status, emphasizing collaboration in infrastructure, energy, digital transformation, and agriculture.
The two leaders discussed expanding Japanese investment in liquefied natural gas facilities, advancing disaster preparedness and ensuring a stable business environment for mineral resource projects, including nickel.
Marcos expressed appreciation for Japan’s development assistance, which he described as the “gold standard” in supporting Philippine efforts in maritime awareness, food security, health and climate resilience. Japan has also played a key role in the Mindanao peace process.
On regional security, the leaders reaffirmed their opposition to unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the East and South China seas and committed to continuing trilateral cooperation with the United States to uphold a free and open Indo-Pacific.
The summit was followed by a state dinner at Malacañang Palace, attended by senior officials and the spouses of both leaders. Ishiba, who last visited the Philippines 25 years ago, expressed his intent to further strengthen ties with what he called Japan’s “closest neighbor.”
Marcos Jr. also congratulated Japan on the opening of Expo 2025 in Osaka and expressed support for deeper cultural and people-to-people exchanges.
Ishiba’s visit underscores growing strategic alignment between the longtime partners amid shifting regional dynamics in the Indo-Pacific. - FJJ
(Photos courtesy of Presidential Communications Office)
