Give attention to safety, power cooperation

The Philippine President is ready to embark on a uncommon state go to to Japan. Tokyo usually hosts — at most — only one state go to in a yr.

MANILA, Philippines — When Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. arrives in Japan for a uncommon state go to, he may have two priorities in thoughts: the 2 Asian nations’ safety cooperation given “coercion and gray-zone techniques” within the sea, and Manila’s power safety goals within the wake of a world power disaster brought on by warfare within the Center East.

The Philippine President, forward of a scheduled state go to to Japan from Could 26 to Could 29, famous the Japan Self-Protection Forces’ (JSDF) current participation in Balikatan 2026, the yearly warfare video games between the Philippines and its treaty ally, america.

“That’s essential as a result of that adjustments the enjoying area, because it have been. It adjustments it considerably. And for Japan now, I suppose you might say it’s crucial that these, that new posture of Japan, now we have to outline it now in phrases — and that is what I might search to make clear — is to outline it by way of the way it’s going to work for Japan and the Philippines bilaterally, and collectively, however multilaterally, along with our different pals and allies within the area. And this extends now for all the best way to the Indo-Pacific,” mentioned Marcos in an interview with Japanese media on Monday, Could 18.

Marcos and his spouse, First Woman Louise Araneta-Marcos, are set to journey to Japan for a state go to upon the invitation of the Japanese authorities. State visits are the best degree of international visits in most international locations, together with Japan.

Uncommon state go to

Tokyo usually solely hosts one state go to a yr, which includes a name on Japan’s Emperor and Empress, a state banquet for the visiting heads of state, in addition to a summit or assembly with the Japanese Prime Minister.

In 2025, Japan hosted Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Japan didn’t host a state go to for the reason that starting of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 till 2024. Previous to a worldwide lockdown resulting from COVID-19, the final world chief to be feted a state go to to Japan was United States President Donald Trump in his first presidential time period of workplace.

Japan is the Philippines’ first, and for a while, solely strategic companion. Manila has since expanded its net of strategic companions to incorporate Vietnam, Australia, South Korea, and India. The latter three partnerships have been signed solely underneath Marcos, whose administration has been looking for an growth of the Philippines’ protection and safety partnerships.

Protection ties between the Philippines and Japan have been strong for years, lengthy earlier than the signing and eventual ratification of the Reciprocal Entry Settlement (RAA), which paved the best way for the JSDF to have interaction in warfare video games. Japan is the most important supply of Official Growth Help to the Philippines. Manila was additionally the primary recipient of Japan’s Official Safety Help, making it a key companion within the Philippines’ army modernization efforts.

In January 2026, the Philippines and Japan signed an Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Settlement, or a framework to control the availability of provides between the JSDF and the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Power resilience

Marcos additionally mentioned Japan has “taken a extra lively position on the subject of the topic of power and the power provide.”

“We are literally very grateful to Japan as a result of Japan has been of nice help to us in looking for completely different options for the availability of the completely different sorts of gas. And that has turn into a essential a part of our coverage,” mentioned Marcos.

The Philippines is amongst these within the area most affected by disruptions to the availability of oil and different petroleum merchandise brought on by the US and Israel’s warfare on Iran and the next closing of the Strait of Hormuz. Earlier than the February 2026 warfare, Manila sourced virtually all its oil from the Center East — both crude oil from the Gulf or petroleum merchandise processed in Asia, but additionally from Center Jap crude oil.

In April 2026, Japan introduced that it could present as much as US$10 billion in help by means of the Partnership on Vast Power and Sources Resilience (POWERR Asia).

“And we are going to once more attempt to get extra readability on what the POWERR Asia system that has been proposed by Prime Minister Takaichi. What does it imply by way of linkages between our completely different international locations, between the Philippines and Japan, and between the entire international locations within the area?” mentioned Marcos, who as chair of the Affiliation of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), led an early Could 2026 assembly of leaders to discover a means for the bloc to raised protect itself from power provide disruptions and value fluctuations.

Marcos has been to Japan not less than twice earlier than as Philippine President — in early 2023 for an official go to after which in mid-2025 to go to the Philippine pavilion on the World Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan. – Rappler.com