Philippines, Japan agree to further boost defense ties

February 10, 2019

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. and Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono have agreed to further strengthen the defense cooperation between the two countries.

Speaking at a joint press conference in Davao City on Sunday after their bilateral meeting, Locsin said he and his Japanese counterpart examined the two countries' cooperation in defense, maritime security, infrastructure development, human resource development, health, disaster risk reduction and management, and people-to-people exchanges where each case reached understandings and made commitments to specific undertakings.

“We reviewed our defense and security engagement, and pledged to persist in our efforts to open new doors for cooperation in this field —— in terms of equipment, education and training, and other modalities,” he said, adding that Japan vowed to stay as steady partner in strengthening the country’s defense capabilities.

“This particular area of cooperation does not exist in a vacuum,” he added.

The Philippines and Japan are both engaged in separate territorial disputes with China - in South China Sea and in East China Sea, respectively.

Locsin said the Philippines recognized the imperative of further bilateral cooperation between the two maritime countries with unique similarities and as neighbors whose sea lanes of communication may be similarly affected by recent developments.

“We both recognize that the regional security environment is fraught with challenges, including in the West Philippine Sea and the Korean Peninsula,” he said.

“At the same time, we acknowledged that keeping and promoting the region’s peace and stability is a collective responsibility; one that must be underpinned by mutual trust, sincere dialogue, and functional cooperation,” he added.

The DFA chief said the two countries also reaffirmed the strength of their Strategic Partnership, taking stock of progress in broad areas of fruitful cooperation.

“The two of us come from a productive meeting this morning with a single mind—that our two countries must sustain the effort to keep and to grow the gains of our Strategic Partnership. Building on past achievements, and seizing opportunities offered by the future, this partnership will flourish and endure,” he said.

Aside from defense cooperation, Mindanao was also the focus of the two officials' meeting.

“We focused on Mindanao and helping the region reap the dividends of a long promised and much delayed peace. We emerge from this morning’s meeting freshly confident about prospects for realizing Mindanao’s promise in the wake of positive, indeed striking developments, in bringing Bangsamoro to reality,” said Locsin.

He said the inauguration of the Japanese Consulate-General in Davao City demonstrates Japan’s “enduring commitment to Mindanao”, especially with the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law.

He added Japan is at the forefront of the road to the realization of Mindanao’s great promise.

“The Road Development Project in conflicted areas in Mindanao, on which we exchanged notes, is an important step toward that goal by allowing communities long ravaged by conflict to heal, to live and work in safety, and enjoy the dividends of peace,” said Locsin.

On a broader level, the two countries agreed to sustain and further strengthen economic cooperation.

Locsin said the story of Japan’s engagement with the Philippines is about being at the pinnacle of key aspects of international interaction as Japan is the number one source of Official Development Assistance (ODA), and the country’s largest investor, the 2nd biggest trading partner, and 4th largest tourism market.

“I thank Minister Kono for reaffirming Japan’s desire to maintain its eminent stature among Philippine partners in progress,” he said.

He said the infrastructure cooperation also figured prominently in their discussions.

“In the context of the President’s infrastructure program, Japan’s commitment, generosity, and technological know-how is ushering in an era of accelerated modernization. Nowhere is this more evident than in the upcoming groundbreaking of the Philippines’ first subway which President (Rodrigo) Duterte said heralds a new, historic stage in Philippine transportation and urban development,” said Locsin.

“Such projects set the pace and raise the bar for future collaboration. Both our governments have committed to continue this trajectory,” he added.

Locsin said the Duterte administration recognized the space that exists for the Philippines to contribute to Japan’s own ongoing economic revitalization.

He said Japanese participation in Philippine progress helps drive Japan’s growth.

Locsin said the meeting was an opportunity for stocktaking and for advancing cooperation to more mutually-beneficial outcomes.

The two officials also went to the Mindanao Kokusai Daigaku, a school in Davao where the Japanese language is part of the curriculum. The school children, with Japanese and Philippine flaglets, warmly welcomed the two officials.

Meanwhile, Kono also met with Moro Islamic Liberation Front Chairman Al Haj Murad Ebrahim at Waterfront Hotel in Davao City on Sunday afternoon.

In a phone interview, Mohagher Iqbal, chairman of the MILF peace implementing panel, said that the meeting between Murad and Kono was "very timely" as it took place after the successful holding of the plebiscite, which resulted to the ratification of BOL.

Asked if Japan has committed to increase assistance to Mindanao conflict-affected areas, he said that it already promised before to raise "economic intervention" in those places.

Japan has been supporting the peace process between the Philippine government and the MILF.

Kono arrived in Davao City on Saturday, February 9, and immediately called on Duterte. He will also be present at the inauguration of Japanese Consulate-General in the said city before leaving the country on Monday, February 11. Ella Dionisio/DMS