Philippine and Japanese leaders and experts on Tuesday said deeper cooperation between the two nations is no longer optional but a “requirement” to safeguard regional stability amid escalating tensions across the Indo-Pacific and the Middle East.

At a high-level conference organized by the Stratbase Institute and the Embassy of Japan, Stratbase president and CEO Victor Andres “Dindo” Manhit emphasized the urgency of stronger partnerships in an increasingly volatile global environment.

Not a normal moment

“This is not a normal moment,” Manhit said. “The rules that have long kept our region stable are being tested, tensions are rising, and supply chains remain vulnerable.”

He stressed that deeper cooperation between Manila and Tokyo is crucial to strengthening economic resilience, enhancing security collaboration, and supporting regional stability.

“In a region where the stakes continue to rise, the Philippines and Japan both have the opportunity and the responsibility to work together to strengthen economic resilience, enhance security cooperation, and uphold the principles that keep our region stable and open,” he added.

Key pillar of stability

Diplomatic relations between the two countries were normalized on 23 July 1956 following post-World War II reconciliation under former President Elpidio Quirino. Since then, ties have evolved into a key pillar of stability in the Indo-Pacific.

Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Endo Kazuya described bilateral relations as entering a “golden age,” with cooperation “deepening and extending steadily across all fields.”

“As maritime nations located along significant sea lanes in a close neighborhood, both allied with the United States, and facing similar challenges against maritime order, our security cooperation is a natural necessity,” he said.

Japan top ODA source

Japan remains the Philippines’ top source of official development assistance (ODA), funding key infrastructure projects, while defense ties have expanded through initiatives such as the Reciprocal Access Agreement signed in 2024.

Finance Secretary Frederick Go said the Philippine government remains committed to strengthening the partnership, noting it has evolved into “like-minded nations working together to advance stability, resilience, and opportunity in our region.”

Uphold rules-based order in Indo-Pacific

Former Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio underscored the importance of the alliance in upholding a rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific, particularly in the West Philippine Sea.