PH-Japan defense logistics pact enters into force
MANILA, Philippines — A defense logistics agreement between the Philippines and Japan entered into force on Saturday, establishing a framework for the reciprocal provision of supplies and services between their armed forces as the two countries deepen defense cooperation.
The Department of National Defense (DND) welcomed the entry into force of the Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (Acsa), which the Philippines and Japan signed in Manila on Jan. 15.
The Acsa provides a legal framework for the Armed Forces of the Philippines and Japan’s Self-Defense Forces to provide supplies and services to each other.
READ: PH, Japan sign military logistics pact amid growing defense ties
“The Acsa framework further strengthens our operational cooperation through the efficient and coordinated provision of supplies and services between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Self-Defense Forces of Japan,” the DND said in a statement Saturday.
The department said the agreement would have a significant impact on bilateral activities, including military exercises, humanitarian assistance and disaster response operations.
The agreement is also intended to enhance military interoperability and readiness and enable the more efficient conduct of joint exercises, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations, peacekeeping activities and other mutually agreed engagements.
The Acsa comes after the Philippines and Japan put their Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) into force in September 2025. The RAA establishes procedures for cooperative activities when the forces of one country visit the other.
According to the defense department, the Acsa demonstrates the practical application of the Philippines-Japan comprehensive strategic partnership, which it described as being characterized by mutual trust and a shared aspiration for a free and open Indo-Pacific.
The agreement was signed alongside an exchange of notes on Japan’s Official Security Assistance (Osa) for fiscal year 2025.
The Japanese assistance is intended to support the modernization and capacity-building efforts of the Philippine defense sector. It includes infrastructure support under Japan’s Osa framework to strengthen the Philippines’ maritime security and operational capabilities.
The signing of the Acsa and the Osa agreement reflected the two countries’ broader efforts to strengthen defense cooperation, promote regional peace and stability and uphold a rules-based international order, according to a DND statement in January.
The agreement was signed as the Philippines and Japan marked the 70th anniversary of the normalization of their diplomatic relations, highlighting the expansion of their bilateral ties and defense cooperation. /das
