President Marcos ready to implement RAA with Japan

MANILA, Philippines — President Marcos is looking forward to the immediate implementation of the Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) between the Philippines and Japan that is expected to bolster the security and defense of both countries.

The President shared the Senate’s ratification of the RAA on Dec. 16 with Japan’s National Security Adviser Akiba Takeo, who paid a courtesy call at Malacañang on Thursday.

“I’m also very happy to be able to note that the Reciprocal Access Agreement has already been ratified by our Senate. And as soon as we are all ready, we can operationalize the agreement that we have come through between Japan and the Philippines,” Marcos said.

Signed in July, the RAA will facilitate the procedures and set guidelines when Philippine forces visit Japan for training and joint exercises, and vice versa. 

It was developed to improve the interoperability between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Self-Defense Forces of Japan for more extensive practical military cooperation and exercises and boost the two nations’ security and defense capabilities.

The RAA is the first defense pact made by Japan in Asia. Tokyo forged similar agreements with Australia in 2022 and Britain in 2023.The defense agreement came amid escalating tensions between Manila and Beijing over the West Philippine Sea.It will take effect after the ratification by the two countries’ legislature bodies. 

Marcos said the “strong” partnership with Japan “helped to strengthen our position when it comes to confronting all of these different issues that we are all facing.”“I’m very optimistic of the continuing strengthening of our partnership not only in terms of defense and security but even in the economic (area),” the President said.

Marcos noted the two countries’ strong cooperation on defense security, particularly in terms of sharing, interoperability and exercises, is strengthening the position of both nations in the disputed South China Sea.

Japan also has ongoing maritime disputes with China.Meanwhile, Akiba relayed Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru’s message to Marcos.He said the Japanese leader is elated over the remarkable progress in the bilateral cooperation between Japan and the Philippines.

He said the Prime Minister cited the Japan-Philippines-US Summit Meeting in April, the Foreign and Defense Ministerial Meeting in July and the unanimous approval of the ratification of the RAA by the Philippine Senate recently.

Ishiba said Japan, the Philippines and the US are “natural partners,” being maritime nations connected by the Pacific Ocean.

The Japanese leader underscored the importance of sharing the principle of the rule of law and strengthening cooperation in maritime security, economic security and enhancing connectivity, to ensure peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

The RAA outlines the provisions on entry and departure, movement, access to facilities and professional practice of the visiting force and its civilian component for the purpose of cooperative activities, as well as the rules governing the jurisdiction over the actions of the visiting force and its civilian components.