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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider No country has matched Japan's development aid to Philippines—Marcos

No country has matched Japan's development aid to Philippines—Marcos

Published May 27, 2026 05:45 pm

At A Glance

  • President Marcos has emphasized that Japan remains to be the Philippines' top partner in development.
  • Japan, he said, is also one of the Philippines' most important partners in trade and investment.
  • While recognizing existing cooperation with Japan, such as defense and security, he said he sees vast potential in working together on clean energy, digital transformation, critical minerals, artificial intelligence (AI), and space cooperation.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. speaks before the members of the Japan-Philippines Parliamentary Friendship League (JPPFL) at the First Members’ Building at House of Representatives in Tokyo, Japan on May 27, 2026. (PPA)
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. speaks before the members of the Japan-Philippines Parliamentary Friendship League (JPPFL) at the First Members’ Building at House of Representatives in Tokyo, Japan on May 27, 2026. (PPA)
Japan remains unmatched in terms of development assistance it has extended to the Philippines, President Marcos said.
Speaking before the Japan-Philippines Parliamentary Friendship League at the House of Representatives in Tokyo, Japan on Wednesday, May 27, Marcos emphasized that Tokyo remains one of Manila's most important partners in terms of trade and investment.
"And no other country has matched Japan in the scale and quality of its development assistance to the Philippines, including the long-term investments in human security in Mindanao and across our islands," Marcos said.

Defense, security pact

Marcos also underscored Japan's continued collaboration with the Philippines in defense and security.
"As recent developments have shown, the world cannot afford to have our waterways disrupted or placed at risk, given their vital role in sustaining global trade, energy flows, and economic stability," he said.
"These realities underscore the importance of strengthening our defense and security cooperation," he added.
The President cited the two countries' "growing collaboration" in defense and security through agreements  such as the Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) and the Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA).
He further said that Manila being a recipient of the Official Security Assistance (OSA) program for the third consecutive year "continues to contribute to our country’s maritime domain awareness and our overall maritime security."
The Chief Executive stressed that defense industry collaboration also creates new opportunities for knowledge and technology exchange, and for workforce development.

Potential cooperation

Aside from the existing areas of cooperation, Marcos underscored that the Philippines and Japan can work together in various areas such as clean energy, digital transformation, critical minerals, artificial intelligence (AI), and space cooperation.
The President also said that the recent visit to the Philippines by the Parliamentary Association of the Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC) was "a step forward in concretizing our joint efforts toward energy security."
In concluding his speech, Marcos recognized the strong bilateral relationship between the two countries, saying the Philippines and Japan "show that their friendship holds in moments that matter most by supporting each other in times of disaster and crisis."
"As we navigate shifting currents, the friendship between the Philippines and Japan continues to evolve and to grow stronger. We  look forward to working with the JPPFL as we take it to even greater heights," he added.

Related Tags

President Marcos Japan State Visit Philippines-Japan JPPFL
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