The armed forces of the Philippines and Japan are set to enter into force their bilateral engagements under the Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) on 11 September, following the ceremonial exchange of notes on Tuesday. 

The exchange of notes on the entry into force of the agreement between the Philippines and Japan concerning the facilitation of the cooperation between the Self-Defense Forces of Japan (SDFJ) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) was graced by Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Teresa Lazaro and Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Endo Kazuya at the Department of Foreign Affairs headquarters in Pasay City. 

In his speech, Endo noted that the RAA “will officially speak to the urgency and strategic value” of the defense partnership between the two nations.

“Japan recognizes the Philippines as an indispensable partner, strategically positioned at the heart of the Indo-Pacific,” he added. 

Endo said the RAA strengthens the interoperability between the two armed forces and affirms the Manila-Tokyo mutual readiness to decisively respond to emerging challenges and opportunities.

For her part, Lazaro said the RAA also demonstrates consistently the value of a strengthened strategic partnership between the Philippines and Japan, “towards the stability of the Indo-Pacific.

By allowing the RAA, Lazaro touted Japan’s “clear commitment to the Philippines’ efforts to advance its defense capabilities in support of the Philippines' clear assertion of its sovereignty and sovereign rights amid a fast-evolving regional security landscape.

“The RAA is a natural progression of cooperation between the Philippines Armed Forces and the Japanese Self-Defense Forces, from active cooperation on humanitarian assistance and disaster response activities to other aspects of capability and capacity building,” Lazaro further noted.

Meanwhile, Teodoro said the RAA serves as a function of strong people-to-people ties, shared values, and most especially, a shared purpose.

“The RAA that comes into force in September is a logical step forward between the saga of relations between our two countries since we both won our respective independences,” he said. 

“At the end of the day, what it means is that our most potent instrument of national power, which is our Armed Force and that of Japan, can work together, but not for destabilizing the world order, but a shared purpose to preserve it against unilateral attempts to reshape the world order into the selfish benefit of parties to the exclusion of others,” he added. 

The RAA was ratified by the President of the Philippines on 16 December 2024, and was concurred by the Philippine Senate on 16 December 2024. On 06 June 2025, the Japanese Parliament ratified the RAA.

It is a form of a Status of Visiting Forces Agreement (SOVFA) which provides a legal and administrative framework for the entry into and departure of the defense forces, vessels, aircraft, and equipment of a party from the territory of the other party, for training and conduct of activities mutually agreed upon by the parties. 

It defines the terms and procedures to allow for the entry and exit of troops and equipment.

The ceremonial exchange of notes confirms the completion of domestic procedures required for the implementation of the RAA.

Pursuant to Paragraph 2 of Article 29, the RAA will enter into force on the 30th day after the date on which the Parties exchange diplomatic notes informing each other that their respective internal procedures necessary to give effect to this Agreement have been completed. 

With the exchange of diplomatic notes on 12 August 2025, the RAA shall enter into force on 11 September 2025.