In all the years since I started out in media, never have I seen our relationship with Japan evolve into what it is today, which is not only at its best, but perhaps at its highest level since the end of World War II. As Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida described it during his visit to the Philippines in November last year, Japan and the Philippines are now experiencing an excellent relationship, calling it “the golden age.”
I frequently visited Japan during the 1970s when I was a news reporter for RPN-9, especially with our former big boss, Roberto “Bobby” Benedicto, serving as the Philippine ambassador from 1972-1978. During that period, a large number of Filipinos or OFWs were starting to be allowed entry into Japan.
I joined President Noynoy Aquino during his state visit to Japan in June 2015 to firm up discussions on our strategic partnership regarding shared goals of ensuring peace and stability in the region, promoting economic growth, transfer of defense equipment and technology and addressing international concerns that include terrorism and climate change. During the state banquet at the imperial guest house Akasaka Palace, I happened to be seated next to Rear Admiral Hisanori Sato, then chief of Japan’s Maritime Self Defense Force.
According to Admiral Sato – who headed Japan’s joint task force that helped the Philippines during the onslaught of Super Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) in November 2013 – Japan was prepared to take on a bigger role in the alliance being forged by both nations and expand security cooperation with other allies in the region. Obviously, this was in part prompted by the “incremental assertiveness” being shown by China, whose increasing reclamation activities raised regional security concerns.
I visited Japan again in October 2015, and I could see the big changes happening in the political landscape with then Prime Minister Shinzo Abe – who was reelected to a fresh term virtually unopposed – ushering in a new era in Japan’s foreign policy with the passage of a security bill that widened the scope of the Japan Self Defense Force and allowed the armed forces to fight abroad to exercise the “right of collective self-defense.”
During that time, North Korea was also displaying belligerence, announcing that it has reopened the Yongbyon complex which serves as its main nuclear facility and issuing threats that it would fire rockets during the anniversary of its Workers Party.
There is absolutely no question that Japan has become extremely important to the Philippines both as a security ally and as an economic partner. The recent signing of the Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) underscores the strengthening bilateral defense cooperation between the two countries. The agreement facilitates mutual visits between Filipino and Japanese armed forces for training and joint exercises that would no doubt enhance interoperability.
As noted by Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara, “The Philippines and other Southeast Asian nations are situated in a very strategically important region, placed in a key junction of Japan’s sea-lanes. Advancing defense cooperation and exchanges with the Philippines is important for Japan.”
The agreement will take effect after ratification by both countries’ legislatures, and I’m very pleased that our legislators have expressed support for the agreement, among them Senate President Chiz Escudero who said, “Anything that strengthens and increases our military capability is a deterrence to a possible conflagration. I fully support this agreement/arrangement.”
As an economic partner, Japan has been very valuable, consistently at the top of the list when it comes to official development assistance (ODA) and foreign investments to the Philippines. Last year, Japan poured in almost 800-billion yen in terms of support for Philippine economic development – exceeding the original private sector investment package and ODA of 600-billion yen pledged by Japan at the beginning of 2023.
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has been a major development partner whose social development and infrastructure projects have been impactful. Last March, the Department of Finance and JICA signed a P55-billion loan agreement for the third tranche of financing for the Metro Manila subway project, a 33-km long underground subway that has been dubbed as the Philippines’ “project of the century.” The subway project is seen to boost the country’s economic transformation goals as it is expected to “significantly mitigate economic losses caused by traffic congestion in the Metro,” according to Finance Secretary Ralph Recto.
In terms of people-to-people ties, the relationship between Japan and the Philippines has continued to deepen and perhaps almost at the same level now with the United States. The 300,000-strong Filipino community in Japan is vibrant and thriving, with the Filipinos living and working there also serving as goodwill ambassadors.
For many Filipinos, Japan has now also become a favorite tourist destination, with more and more traveling to Tokyo and other cities since the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions. According to data from the Japan National Tourism Organization, over 622,000 Filipinos visited Japan in 2023.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida aptly described the “people-to-people connection as the bedrock” of the relationship between Japan and the Philippines.
Like I always tell my Japanese ambassador friends who have served in the Philippines – because of our excellent relationship, the Japanese ambassador is now considered to be one of the most sought-after envoys in the country.
Admittedly, World War II and the three-year Japanese Occupation was a very painful experience, but clearly the relationship between our two countries has since evolved into what it is today. Japan and the Philippines have not only become friends and partners, but strong allies with a shared commitment to deter aggression and promote peace in the region.
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