Japan and the Philippines are applying their Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) for the first time to joint military operations, implementing the defense pact through both a training exercise and an active humanitarian mission.
The RAA, which entered into force on Sept. 11, is being applied to the “Doshin-Bayanihan 5-25” exercise between the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) and Philippine Air Force, and to the transport of relief supplies for communities affected by the Sept. 30 earthquake in Cebu.
The Philippine Department of National Defense said the simultaneous application of the agreement to training and humanitarian operations demonstrates the pact’s operational value. Japanese forces are transporting relief supplies from Tacloban Air Base in Leyte to Mactan Air Base as part of the response to the earthquake.
The five-day exercise, which began Oct. 7 at Brigadier General Benito N. Ebuen Air Base in Mactan, Cebu, runs through Saturday. Approximately 30 JASDF personnel with one C-130H transport aircraft are participating alongside Philippine Air Force personnel with one C-130H aircraft and one UH-1 helicopter.
Training activities include cargo airdrop operations, joint loading and unloading procedures, night vision goggle-assisted landing and takeoff exercises, mass casualty care training, and expert exchanges on aeromedical evacuation procedures.
“With the RAA in place, both activities underscore the RAA’s pivotal role in facilitating enhanced bilateral defense collaboration, ensuring interoperability, and advancing both countries’ shared commitment to regional resilience, security, and stability,” the DND said in a statement.
The Reciprocal Access Agreement streamlines procedures for deploying forces in each other’s territories for joint training and disaster response operations. The pact was signed in Manila on Jul. 8, 2024.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ratified the agreement on Nov. 5, 2024. The Philippine Senate approved it on Dec. 16, 2024, and the Japanese Diet followed on Jun. 6, 2025.
The DND expressed appreciation to the Japanese government for the humanitarian assistance to earthquake-affected communities in Cebu.
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