Enhancing operational maritime security and securing long-term energy resilience will top the agenda of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s upcoming historic first state visit to Japan, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Monday.
In a Palace press briefing, DFA spokesperson Analyn Ratonel emphasized that the primary goal of the trip is to deepen strategic collaboration between the two nations across vital sectors, particularly amid evolving regional challenges.
“Para makapag-usap si Pangulong Marcos Jr. at Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi tungkol sa kooperasyon ng Pilipinas at Japan sa larangan ng seguridad, maritime and defense, ekonomiya, energy resilience and decarbonization, at emerging and future-oriented sectors (To allow President Marcos Jr. and Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to discuss Philippines-Japan cooperation in the fields of security, maritime and defense, economy, energy resilience and decarbonization, and emerging and future-oriented sectors),” she said.
Amid persistent security challenges in the Indo-Pacific region, including the West Philippine Sea, Manila aims to utilize the state visit to fully operationalize its existing logistical and defense frameworks with Tokyo.
Ratonel noted that the discussions will focus on maximizing the implementation of the Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) signed in 2024, as well as a newer logistics pact.
The Philippines aims to deepen its operational maritime and security collaboration with Japan through enhanced information sharing, defense agency coordination, and the transfer of defense equipment.
The two leaders are expected to review the agreement concerning the reciprocal provision of supplies and services between the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF), which was signed on Jan. 15, 2026.
“Ito ‘yung nagsisilbing logistical backbone para sa joint military training, operations, humanitarian assistance, and disaster relief. Ipag-uusapan nila kung paano natin fully mai-implement ‘yung dalawang agreements na ‘yon (This serves as the logistical backbone for joint military training, operations, humanitarian assistance, and disaster relief. They will discuss how we can fully implement those two agreements),” she said.
Another major focus of the trip is fortifying the Philippines’ energy security amid a volatile global market.
The Philippines eyes an active participation in Japan’s newly launched “Power Asia” initiative, which is a USD10-billion fund introduced by Takaichi last April 15, aimed at bolstering wide energy and resource resilience across the region.
“Sa global energy crisis ngayon, ginagawa natin talaga ang paraan para sa long-term energy supply natin. Naghahanap tayo ng iba’t ibang bibilhan ng langis, ang layunin natin ay i-diversify ang ating sources para sa oil at hindi tayo masyadong umasa (With the global energy crisis today, we are really finding ways for our long-term energy supply. We are looking for different sources to buy oil, our goal is to diversify our sources for oil so we do not rely too heavily on a few),” she added.
Aside from holding a bilateral summit with Takaichi, Marcos and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos will receive top honors at the Imperial Palace.
The state visit coincides with a major historical milestone, as the Philippines and Japan commemorate the 70th anniversary of the normalization of their diplomatic relations this year.
During the trip, Marcos is also slated to meet with Japanese business groups to secure fresh trade and investment commitments, as well as engage with the Filipino community.
Latest Palace data showed that approximately 340,000 Filipinos are living and working in Japan as of 2025, majority are permanent migrants and the other half are temporary professionals in fields such as engineering, healthcare, and education. (PNA)
