Phl-Japan space agencies announce partnership

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) will be sharing their space exploration knowledge and technologies with the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA), President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced on Saturday.

Marcos met with JAXA executives on Friday as part of his four-day working visit in Osaka, Japan.

"We’re working with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), together with our very own Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA), to use space technology that helps protect and improve the lives of Filipinos," Marcos said in a statement.

Marcos noted that collaborating with the Japanese space agency can improve satellite imaging which can track typhoons more accurately and help concerned agencies respond to calamities.

"With better satellites, we can track typhoons and respond to disasters more quickly, help our farmers plan smarter, and keep our communities safer," he said.

JAXA has been a valuable partner of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), particularly in the science, technology and applications programs.

The country's first microsatellites DIWATA-1 and DIWATA-2 were developed through the collaboration of the DOST and Japanese universities. They also worked on the launch of the Pinoy-built nanosatellites MAYA-1 and MAYA-2, developed in collaboration between the University of the Philippines, the DOST and Japan's Kyushu Institute of Technology.

JAXA is Japan's national space agency responsible for research, development, and the utilization of space and aeronautics.

It became a national research and development (R\&D) agency in 2015, promoting R&D in the aerospace industry as well as boosting international cooperation, public relations, and collaboration with industries and educational institutions.