The Philippines and Japan have discussed plans to further boost their maritime security cooperation amid the evolving security challenges in the Indo-Pacific region.
This, as Department of National Defense (DND) Sec. Gilberto Teodoro Jr. received delegates from Japan led by Tanaka Hiroo, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Director-General for Infrastructure Management Department; and Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Koshikawa Kazuhiko during their courtesy call at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City on Thursday, Jan. 18.
The officials talked about how the two countries could establish possible cooperation on information sharing, hardware and software support, and technical assistance.
"The meeting was intended to determine how the Japanese Government, through the Official Development Assistance (ODA) and Official Security Assistance (OSA), could further contribute to enhancing the Philippines’ maritime domain awareness capabilities," DND spokesperson Arsenio Andolong said.
Teodoro reaffirmed the DND and Armed Forces of the Philippines' (AFP) full commitment to work with JICA in identifying maritime security cooperative projects while adopting a holistic approach to address traditional and non-traditional security concerns for long-term economic development.
He also encouraged the JICA delegation to engage with relevant government agencies to further capacitate not just the capability requirements of the Philippine Navy (PN) but also the maritime law enforcement agencies and Filipino fisherfolks.
The DND is elevating its defense and security cooperation with Japan and other "like-minded" countries amid China's aggression in the South China Sea.
Teodoro said earlier this week that Manila's visiting forces deal with Tokyo, dubbed as Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA), could be sign within the first quarter of this year.
It is seen to facilitate the procedures and set guidelines for the deployment of Philippine troops in Japan for large-scale trainings, and vice versa.
If completed, the Philippines will become the first Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) country to establish a visiting forces agreement with Japan.
The Philippines and Japan also signed and exchanged notes on Japan’s OSA worth JP¥600 million or approximately P235.5 million grant aid of coastal surveillance radars during the state visit to the Philippines of Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio in November last year.