(Provisional translation by an external company for reference purpose only)
I have an announcement about a Japan-Philippines bilateral exercise and the delivery of support goods by a Self-Defense Force (SDF) aircraft, which will be the first time the Japan-Philippines Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) will be applied. The bilateral humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HA/DR) exercise “Doshin Bayanihan 5-25” will be conducted in the Philippines from today to October 11. The purpose of this exercise is to improve the HA/DR capabilities of the Air Self-Defense Force (ASDF) and strengthen cooperation between the ASDF and the Philippine Air Force. The exercise will apply for the first time the Japan-Philippines RAA, which came into force on September 11, last month. The Japan-Philippines RAA establishes procedures for the activities that are conducted by forces of Japan and the Philippines while the force of one country is visiting the other country and defines a legal status of the visiting force, which will facilitate the implementation of cooperative activities between the two forces, such as bilateral exercises and DR. Specifically, it will make it easier to coordinate the implementation of cooperative activities, including simplification of immigration procedures for the visiting force and clarification of its legal status. The entry into force and the first-time application of the Japan-Philippines RAA are a testament to the unprecedented advancement in defense cooperation between the two countries, which makes me very pleased. In addition, a large-scale earthquake struck Cebu in the Philippines on September 30, last week, resulting in many victims and affected people. I would like to offer my condolences to the victims and express my sympathy to their families and all those affected. The Philippine authorities are currently providing support to the affected people, and Japan has received a request from the Philippine side for assistance in delivering support goods in the Philippines. In response, Japan has decided to deliver support goods prepared by the Philippine side on October 9, the day after tomorrow, from Tacloban Air Base in Leyte to Mactan Air Base, which is the closest airport to the affected areas, using the ASDF’s K/C-130H that will participate in the bilateral exercise. The Japan-Philippines RAA will also be applied to this operation. The 525th Engineer Combat Battalion of the Philippine Army, which is engaged in HA/DR in the affected areas, is a unit for which the Ministry of Defense (MOD)/SDF previously conducted an HA/DR cooperation project, and I have observed it during my visit to the Philippines. I observed this exercise in which the unit demonstrated an excellent response to a large-scale earthquake scenario. Japan and the Philippines are similar in that both are prone to natural disasters, including earthquakes, and the MOD/SDF have contributed to enhancing the Philippines’ disaster response capabilities through capacity building and other support. In responding to the latest disaster, we expect that the Philippines will once again fully demonstrate the capabilities it has developed through Japan’s capacity building and other support. I would be grateful if our activities will, even in a small way, be of help to the Philippines. Once the arrangements have been completed, today, I will hold a video teleconference with Secretary of National Defense Teodoro, during which I will express my sympathy in wake of the earthquake in Cebu and explain the support that will be provided by the MOD/SDF. Taking into account that the Japan-Philippines RAA will be applied for the first time, I also plan to exchange views on future defense cooperation between Japan and the Philippines. The MOD/SDF will continue to leverage the RAA and deepen defense cooperation, including HA/DR, with the Philippines, which is an important strategic partner for Japan. The RAA will be applied for the first time. This matter was discussed during my earlier visit to the Philippines, and in reality, it has been proven that the RAA is extremely useful in times like these. Japan intends to provide support as much as possible.