The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said the Senate’s approval of the resolution concurring in the ratification of the Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) between the Philippines and Japan on Monday serves as a “significant step” in strengthening defense cooperation between the two nations.

AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said the military organization believes the agreement provides substantial benefits, particularly in enhancing training opportunities, joint exercises, and interoperability between the country’s armed forces and its Japanese counterparts.

“In terms of our territorial defense posture, the RAA will bolster our maritime domain awareness capabilities through technology transfers, intelligence sharing, and strengthened collaboration with Japan, a country with advanced defense systems,” she said.

Padilla stressed the Philippines’ and Japan’s partnership will help the AFP address security challenges, “especially in critical areas such as the West Philippine Sea.”

She said the RAA will further solidify the AFP’s preparedness and resilience in safeguarding the country’s sovereignty.

Meanwhile, Philippine Navy spokesperson for the WPS, Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, said the RAA will help improve the country’s maritime domain awareness capabilities and information sharing with a partner nation.

“The Philippine Navy welcomes the ratification of the Reciprocal Access Agreement between Japan and the Philippines. This RAA allows for a closer coordination and collaboration between our nations and our navies,” he said.

Being a staunch supporter of international law and a rules-based international order, Trinidad noted the RAA would allow the JMSDF and the Philippine Navy to have a closer cooperation, coordination, and collaboration as we prepare our forces for external defense.

Senator Loren Legarda on Monday said the ratification of the Reciprocal Access Agreement solidifies the enduring friendship and mutual respect between the Philippines and Japan.

In explaining her affirmative vote for the Senate resolution concurring in the RAA ratification, Legarda said, “I trust that this agreement strengthens our nation’s security and reinforces our regional partnerships at a time when collaboration is crucial.”

Legarda said the RAA not only facilitates joint military training, disaster response, and humanitarian operations but also fortifies our commitment to regional peace and stability which we emphasized during the 31st Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum that we hosted last year.

She sees the RAA as a legal framework that reinforces the country’s commitment to enhancing confidence-building measures that “effectively alleviate tensions, proactively prevent disputes, and mitigates the escalation of ongoing disputes in the Asia-Pacific region.”