Phl, Japan shoot for the stars

Japan and the Philippines reaffirmed their growing partnership in space science and technology during the Space Economy Co-Creation Symposium hosted by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) on 17 November 2025.

Held in Manila, the symposium gathered more than 200 participants from government agencies, private companies, and academic institutions from both countries to explore opportunities in the space economy.

The discussions covered a wide range of space-related fields, including carbon stock analysis, maritime observation, disaster risk reduction, water resource management, satellite manufacturing, and launch services. The forum highlighted how space data and technologies can be deployed to support economic development, climate action, infrastructure planning and emergency response.

In his opening remarks, Japanese Ambassador Endo Kazuya welcomed the continued growth of space cooperation between Tokyo and Manila, citing years of successful collaboration. These include the Philippines’ Diwata and Maya microsatellites developed and launched with JAXA and Japanese universities; emergency earth observation support through Sentinel-Asia for disaster response; and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s meeting with JAXA leaders during his Osaka trip in June 2025.