Marcos heads to Japan for talks on defense, energy, economy

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will conduct his first state visit to Japan from 26 to 29 May to discuss key bilateral issues and strengthen cooperation between the Philippines and Japan.

According to the Department of Foreign Affairs, Marcos is expected to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to discuss security, maritime and defense cooperation, economic partnerships, energy resilience, decarbonization, and emerging future-oriented sectors.

“Pagkakataon ito upang makapag-usap si Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi tungkol sa kooperasyon ng Pilipinas at Japan sa larangan ng seguridad, maritime and defense, ekonomiya, energy resilience and decarbonization at emerging and future-oriented sectors,” DFA spokesperson Analyn De Leon Ratonel said during a press briefing on 25 May.

Ratonel added that regional and global developments affecting both countries would also be tackled during the summit.

“Inaasahan din na mag-uusap ang dalawang leaders tungkol sa mga regional and global issues na nakakaapekto sa Pilipinas at Japan, gaya ng ASEAN, challenges sa Indo-Pacific region, and developments in the Middle East,” she said.

The DFA said the Philippines aims to deepen operational cooperation with Japan, particularly in maritime security, information sharing, defense collaboration, and defense equipment transfers.

“For the Philippine side po, gusto nating mapatatag o deeper ang collaboration natin on operational cooperation in maritime security areas, kasama na dito ang information sharing, ang pag-collaborate po ng ating defense agencies, and transfer ng defense equipment,” Ratonel emphasized.

The DFA spokesperson also noted that energy security and diversification of oil sources would form part of the discussions amid the ongoing global energy crisis.

“Actually, ang Philippines with the global energy crisis, ginagawa natin talaga ang paraan para sa long-term energy supply natin. So, naghahanap tayo ng iba’t ibang bibilhan ng langis, and ang layunin natin ay to diversify our sources para sa oil,” she said.

Ratonel clarified that no final bilateral agreements have yet been confirmed, saying announcements regarding possible partnerships would only be made after the summit discussions.

Expected outcomes from the meeting include new agreements involving defense, trade and investment, and human resource cooperation.

The DFA also said discussions would include Japan’s proposed $10-billion fund under the Partnership on Wide Energy and Resources Resilience Asia (POWERR Asia), although no exact allocation for the Philippines has been finalized.

The summit is likewise expected to tackle the full implementation of existing defense agreements between the Philippines and Japan, including the Reciprocal Access Agreement signed in 2024 and the reciprocal provision on supplies and services agreement between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Japan Self-Defense Forces signed on 15 January 2026.

The Reciprocal Access Agreement establishes the legal framework governing the deployment and operations of military forces in each other’s territories for joint exercises, humanitarian missions, and disaster response activities.

Meanwhile, the reciprocal provision agreement sets the terms for the exchange of supplies and services between the defense forces of both countries.

Apart from the summit, Marcos is also scheduled to meet with Japanese business groups and members of the Filipino community in Japan.

The DFA reported that around 340,000 Filipinos were living and working in Japan as of 2025, with nearly half classified as permanent residents while the rest are temporary migrants, including teachers, engineers, healthcare workers, and other professionals.