Manila: Highlighting the growing military ties between the Philippines and Japan, Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. escorted Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani on a tour of Filipino bases and facilities in Luzon. The tour took place on Sunday and emphasized the strengthening defense relationship between the two nations.
According to Philippines News Agency, DND spokesperson Assistant Secretary Arsenio Andolong stated that Minister Nakatani was given a comprehensive briefing and guided tour of the operational capabilities and ongoing defense initiatives at Basa Air Base in Floridablanca, Pampanga. For security reasons, specific details of the tour were withheld.
Following their visit to Basa Air Base, Teodoro and Nakatani proceeded to the Wallace Air Station in San Fernando, La Union. During this visit, they toured the Air Defense Simulation and Wargaming Center, which is integral to military training and strategic planning, as well as the Mobile Radar installations that are crucial for monitoring and securing Philippine airspace.
With the recent Philippine Senate concurrence on the Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) between the Philippines and Japan, discussions between Teodoro and Nakatani focused on advancing strategic defense partnerships. Particular areas of interest included maritime and air defense, capacity building activities, and regional security initiatives.
In a separate interview, Teodoro mentioned plans for an in-depth meeting with the Japanese defense minister and his party on Monday. This meeting will involve discussions on enhancing bilateral, trilateral, and squad cooperation, with participation from the President as well.
Teodoro clarified that the current visit is independent of the RAA, stating, “Today (Sunday) was just an inspection and the agenda, naturally, we will talk about regional security, bilateral cooperation, multilateral cooperation, defense industries, and some other topics.”
In other related news, the final round of negotiations between New Zealand and the Philippines on the status of a Visiting Forces Agreement concluded on February 18. Teodoro remarked that all that remains is to set a date for signing and Senate ratification. Additionally, the Philippines is in negotiations for similar agreements with Canada and soon with France.