In a significant development for regional security, the defense ties between the Philippines and Japan have reached new heights, as announced by Department of National Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on February 24, 2024. Speaking ahead of a crucial bilateral meeting with Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel, Teodoro highlighted the robust and enduring nature of the defense and security relationship between the two nations.
Teodoro expressed gratitude for Nakatani’s visit, which included tours of military bases in Luzon the previous day. He emphasized that these visits are a testament to the strong bilateral relations, particularly in defense and security. The two ministers inspected facilities at Basa Air Base in Floridablanca, Pampanga, and Wallace Air Station in San Fernando, La Union, which are pivotal in monitoring the country’s airspace.
Looking forward, Teodoro is eager to deepen the defense partnership with Japan to ensure stability in the Indo-Pacific region, especially against attempts by countries like China to alter the international order. He stressed the importance of shared values such as a rules-based international order and a free and open Indo-Pacific, which both nations are committed to defending.
Nakatani, in turn, praised the warm welcome and hospitality extended by the Philippines. He reminisced about his first meeting with Teodoro at the ASEAN Defense Minister Meeting Plus in November of the previous year, where Teodoro had extended an invitation for a visit to the Philippines. Nakatani expressed his pleasure at the swift realization of this visit.
Reflecting on past collaborations, Nakatani recalled working with former DND Secretary Voltaire Gazmin in 2015, during which Japan signed a Memorandum on Defense Cooperation and Exchange with the Philippines. He underscored the need for enhanced defense cooperation to contribute to peace and stability in the region and the international community, given the increasingly complex security environment.
Teodoro remains optimistic about the ratification of the Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) by the Japanese Diet in 2024. The RAA, signed on July 8, 2024, and ratified by the Philippine Senate on December 16, is expected to significantly boost defense and security cooperation and enhance interoperability between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Japan Self-Defense Force once implemented.