Jamaine Punzalan

Article (news)

Agence France-Presse

Zen Hernandez

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17684516391221768451635955.jpeg" style="width:960px;display:block;height:auto" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Philippine marines march between Philippine and Japanese flags prior to Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida&#x27;s (not pictured) arrival for a wreath-laying ceremony at Jose Rizal&#x27;s monument in Manila on Nov. 3, 2023. Ted Aljbe, AFP/File</span></span></span></div><p>MANILA<strong> (UPDATED)</strong> — The Philippines and Japan on Thursday signed an agreement allowing for the resupply of fuel and ammunition to each other&#x27;s forces, the latest in a series of pacts aimed at countering China&#x27;s regional assertiveness.</p><p>Tokyo and Manila have significantly deepened military ties in recent years, with both joining a security partnership with Washington, and Japan supplying patrol boats and radio gear to the Philippines.</p><p>The Philippines and China have engaged in frequent clashes in the contested South China Sea, which Beijing claims in nearly its entirety despite an international ruling that its assertion has no legal basis.</p><p>At a joint briefing Thursday in Manila, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said the new Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA) showed security cooperation between the two countries was &quot;rapidly expanding&quot;.</p><p>The ACSA between the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) sets the basic framework for the reciprocal provision of supplies and services and provides logistical support for joint military training, operations, humanitarian assistance and disaster response activities. </p><p>The agreement complements the Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) between the Philippines and Japan, which entered into force in September 2025, by helping ensure its practical and sustainable implementation throught the establishment of a logistics backbone for bilateral defense engagements.  </p><p>Funds provided to the Philippines under Japan&#x27;s Official Security Assistance (OSA) programme -- valued at more than $20 million since 2023 -- were also being funneled into infrastructure for the first time, he added.</p><p>The signed extension of Japan&#x27;s OSA for Fiscal Year 2025 marks the third consecutive year that Tokyo has provided the Philippines with security support. Under the program, Japan will allocate ¥900 million or approximately ₱337 million to help strengthen the Department of National Defense’s (DND) capacity to secure Philippine territory and improve capabilities to deter threats that could undermine peace, stability, and security in the region.</p><p>&quot;This is the first infrastructure project under Japan&#x27;s OSA program, and we will construct boathouses and slipways for rigid hull inflatable boats,&quot; Motegi said of the OSA funding.</p><div><br/></div><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display:flex;max-width:560px;width:100%;margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-1&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=2011651175448526982&amp;lang=en&amp;maxWidth=560px&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com%2F%23%2Fworkspace%2Fmonitoring%3Fitem%3Durn%3Anewsml%3Aod2-workbench-api.abs-cbn.com%3A2026-01-15T02%3A40%3A38.577317%3A0c7709dd-b42b-42f8-9912-d0712d229fca%26action%3Dedit&amp;sessionId=646a8b8c7c8551236d59f32b0e1a3720218d02ea&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=550px" style="position:static;visibility:visible;width:511px;height:288px;display:block;flex-grow:1" data-tweet-id="2011651175448526982"></iframe></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8"></script><p>Tokyo has been a key financer of Manila&#x27;s efforts to modernise its South China Sea patrol craft as well as maritime surveillance systems.</p><p>Philippine Foreign Minister Theresa Lazaro said Thursday that the new resupply deal would &quot;enhance our mutual military interoperability and readiness&quot; while building off the previously signed visiting forces agreement.</p><p>Japan regularly joins the Philippines in bilateral and multilateral maritime drills in the South China Sea, and last year sent a contingent to the annual Balikatan military exercises conducted by US and Philippine forces.</p><p>In addition to defense-related agreements, the two countries approved a grant aid package worth ¥1.63 billion or around ₱612 million, for the establishment of a wireless backbone network in Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi (BASULTA).</p><p>The project aims to connect around 40 government network sites and provide free public internet access points across the three provinces, supporting the Philippine government’s efforts to enhance digital connectivity in geographically isolated and conflict-affected areas. The initiative is expected to benefit more than 250,000 individuals, improving access to government services, communications, and online transactions.</p>

<p>The Philippines and Japan on Thursday signed an agreement allowing for the resupply of fuel and ammunition to each other's forces, the latest in a series of pacts aimed at countering China's regional assertiveness.</p>

The Philippines and Japan on Thursday signed an agreement allowing for the resupply of fuel and ammunition to each other's forces, the latest in a series of pacts aimed at countering China's regional assertiveness.

Japan, Philippines ink deal to allow military resupply, boost internet connectivity

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Japan, Philippines ink deal to allow military resupply, boost internet connectivity

Agence France-Presse,

Zen Hernandez,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jan 15, 2026 12:35 PM PHT

|

Updated Jan 15, 2026 04:48 PM PHT

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Japan

Philippines

defense

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