Manila, Feb. 17 -- The military ties between the Philippines and Japan are growing stronger. This is thanks to the recent approval of the Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) by the Philippine Senate.

On Dec. 16, 2024, Senate Resolution No. 1248 was passed without opposition. This means the ratification of the RAA is complete on the Philippine side. This agreement was first signed on July 8, 2024, during the 2nd Philippines-Japan 2+2 Meeting, and needed the Senate's nod to move forward. The RAA is meant to boost cooperation and help with joint military exercises between the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF). All that remains is the parallel process on Tokyo's end, requiring concurrence in the Jap...