Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva thanked Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio for expressing Japan's willingness to continue to partner with the Philippines in various areas.

Villanueva specifically cited the areas of trade and development, defense and security, disaster management, infrastructure projects, tourism, energy, and transition to net zero emissions, which Kishida mentioned in his speech Saturday, Nov. 4. during a special joint session of the House of Representatives and the Senate at the Batasan Complex in Quezon City.

"Indeed, today’s special joint session affirms the relationship of our two nations which is built on trust and sincere love for each other," Villanueva said in a statement.

Villanueva said that amid the challenges and problems faced by the international community, Kishida spoke with the genuine kindness of a reliable ally and friend as he stressed the significance of human dignity and respect for the rule of law in ensuring peace and stability.

"We welcome the expansion of our country’s cooperation on all fronts, which will benefit the Filipino people," he said.

He also enumerated the country's most pressing needs that only a true friend to Filipinos in Kishida would know.

These included peace and prosperity in Mindanao, territorial integrity and maritime security, the economy and climate change, just to name a few.

"We express our deepest gratitude to Prime Minister Kishida together with Mrs. Kishida Yuko and the people of Japan for the heart-to-heart relationship that our countries have cultivated over the years," Villanueva said.

"We will continue to strengthen our ties and build a lasting relationship based on sincere trust, mutual respect, and love," he added.

Don't 'militarize' PH

Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel said that the Philippines should not be “militarized” by other countries as if they are preparing and volunteering the Philippines to be the next battleground.

He said that Filipinos should never allow the Philippines to become "a practice battlefield for the big powers' war games".

Pimentel said that he would welcome offers of financial assistance, grants, and concessions on relevant and productive areas.

"I also hope to hear of grand plans for the Japanese to invest here and create decent paying jobs for Filipinos with transfer of technology if possible," he added.

Senator Jinggoy Estrada said that Kishida's visit to the Philippines was a significant and timely development, especially in the context of the evolving global and regional security landscape.

He stated that the Philippines and Japan have a long-standing friendship and partnership. "We are eager to hear how the two governments can enhance defense ties to address the common security challenges we face," he said.

"A Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) with the Japanese government can significantly enhance the Philippines' defense capabilities through military cooperation and training, equipment and technology transfer, and other defense assets that our government may not be financially capable of acquiring," he said.

"Better economic and political cooperation with Japan can lead to increased trade and investment, benefiting the Philippine economy beyond defense," he added.

Estrada mentioned that in the past three administrations, the Philippines’ largest source of official development assistance (ODA) was Japan. This suggests a long-standing and strong bilateral relationship between the two countries in terms of development aid and assistance.

Senator Lito Lapid said that Kishida's visit signifies a stronger friendship and a deeper relationship between Japan and the Philippines.

Lapid hopes that his visit to the country will enhance the country's ties with other nations who recognize democracy and existing laws.

"Sa matagal na panahon po ay naging mabuting katuwang natin ang bansang Hapon sa maraming proyekto na para sa ikasusulong ng ating ekonomiya. Inaasahan din po natin na lalo pang lalawak ang economic relations sa pagitan ng ating mga bansa sa mga darating na panahon (Japan has been a great ally in many projects that seek to improve the economy in a long time. We expect that economic relations between the two countries would continuously grow in the coming years)," he added.