The Philippines and Japan will see their Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) take effect in September 2025, following an August exchange of diplomatic notes in Manila, the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines announced. The pact establishes a legal and administrative framework for the entry and exit of the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines for training, exercises and other mutually agreed upon activities. According to the embassy, it defines the status of visiting forces and aims to improve interoperability amid an increasingly severe regional security environment.
Originally signed in Tokyo in 2024 by Philippines Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa, the agreement authorizes joint exercises ranging from live-fire drills to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. It does not permit the permanent basing of foreign troops, respecting the Philippines’ 1987 constitution, but allows rotational deployments, storage of defense equipment and mutual customs and tax exemptions for military material, a Department of Foreign Affairs statement said.
Previously, JSDF participation in exercises on Philippine soil was limited to humanitarian missions. The RAA expands that scope to include combined drills that enhance command-and-control and amphibious operations.
The agreement also augments upcoming defense equipment transfers. The Philippines and Japan are currently in discussions for the transfer of up to six decommissioned Hatsuyuki-class destroyer escorts and basic maritime patrol aircraft from the JSDF by 2027. Tokyo has already provided the Philippines with multirole response vessels and radar systems and approved a half-billion-dollar loan for five additional 97-meter patrol cutters.
This access agreement represents Manila’s third such pact after ones with Australia and the United States and is Tokyo’s first military-access treaty with a Southeast Asian country. “Japan recognizes the Philippines as an indispensable partner, strategically positioned at the heart of the Indo-Pacific and united through our shared core values of freedom, democracy and the rule of law,” Japanese Ambassador Endo Kazuya told reporters.
Philippine officials described the accord as a deterrent to unilateral attempts to disrupt a secure and stable international system. “[The agreement] provides deterrence for those actors who may not see things the way we do and may not share our values. It provides resilience because, not only will we be working with others, but we will be working with each other, close neighbors,” said Teodoro. He said the agreement affirms the two nations’ “mutual readiness to decisively respond to emerging challenges and opportunities.”
Rising tensions in the South China Sea and East China Sea have underpinned both countries’ drive for closer security cooperation. Incidents involving Chinese coast guard vessels near disputed shoals underscore Manila’s need to strengthen its maritime domain awareness and training, according to defense experts at the Australian Institute of International Affairs.
As the RAA enters into force, Philippine and Japanese defense planners will negotiate component agreements covering access, logistics, status-of-forces procedures and an annual joint committee, the Philippines Department of National Defense said. Together, they strive to enhance interoperability in all domains while reinforcing regional security to address humanitarian crises and strategic challenges.