Philippines and Japan signal defence pact’s depth via aid to quake-hit Cebu

The Philippines and Japan have activated their new defence pact through a joint mission focused on delivering humanitarian aid following the deadly earthquake in Cebu, in a move that analysts say can lay the groundwork for deeper security cooperation in the region. The deployment marks the start of the Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA), a landmark deal that allows troops from both countries to conduct joint exercises on each other’s territory. Signed in July 2024 and in force since September 11, the pact is widely seen as part of a broader push by Tokyo and Manila to strengthen their security ties amid rising tensions in the South China Sea. By undertaking the non-military mission, Tokyo and Manila are also aiming to ease regional concerns about their agreement, according to analysts. Thirty personnel from Japan’s Air Self-Defence Force have been deployed to an airbase in Mactan, Cebu, along with its KC-130H aircraft, while the Philippines has provided a C-130H military transport aircraft and a UH-1 helicopter to support relief efforts. The five-day operation, dubbed “Doshin-Bayanihan 5-25”, began on Tuesday and will run until Saturday. The mission follows the magnitude 6.9 earthquake in Cebu on September 30, which killed at least 72 people and injured nearly 300, according to Philippine disaster officials. Arsenio Andolong, a spokesman for the Philippine Department of National Defence, said the mission’s focus on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief was one of the key areas of cooperation under the agreement. “With the RAA in place, both activities underscore its pivotal role in facilitating enhanced bilateral defence collaboration, ensuring interoperability, and advancing both countries’ shared commitment to regional resilience, security and stability,” he said. Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed in a separate statement that the mission was launched in response to a request from Manila. Addressing China’s concern While the agreement was signed against the backdrop of China’s growing assertiveness in disputed waters, one of its fundamental objectives is to encompass non-military missions, and this is reflected in the operation in Cebu, according to analysts. “This exercise could partly be done to address China’s concern and to demonstrate the pact does not mean the Philippines and Japan are forming up against China,” Abdul Rahman Yaacob, a non-resident fellow at the Australian National University, told This Week in Asia. Muhammad Faizal Bin Abdul Rahman, a research fellow at Singapore’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, said the joint deployment of troops for a humanitarian mission could help alleviate tensions arising from the dispute between the Philippines and China over the South China Sea. “It is necessary not to give China a reason to perceive the RAA as hostile or escalatory, as this could result in more dangerous confrontations at the South China Sea between Chinese and Filipino forces. This is necessary as the Philippine military should focus on building joint capacity with the Japan Self-Defence Forces rather than be distracted by more confrontations with China,” he said. Faizal said the humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations in Cebu would also boost the readiness of Filipino and Japanese troops for wartime deployment. According to Rahman, the Cebu operation could become a blueprint for non-military operations in the event of a crisis over Taiwan. “It forges closer defence cooperation. A major point, however, [is that] the RAA will be useful in any Taiwan contingency, especially when Filipinos and Japanese need to be evacuated from Taiwan, either to the Philippines or Japan,” he added. Under the agreement, troops from the Philippines and Japan can carry out joint evacuations, and this is significant given the proximity of both countries to Taiwan and the large number of their citizens living there, according to Rahman. Taiwan is home to around 150,000 Filipino migrant workers, many of whom are employed as domestic helpers or factory workers. According to Tokyo’s official data released in 2022, about 20,345 Japanese nationals were living in Taiwan. Beijing sees Taiwan as part of China to be reunited by force if necessary. While the US does not recognise Taiwan as an independent state, it is opposed to any attempt to take the self-governed island by force and is committed to supplying it with weapons. Climate change challenges Anita Abbott, chair of the Asia-Pacific Security Innovation Forum in New Zealand, told This Week in Asia that most Asian countries were sensitive to the military presence of Japan and the United States in the region. As such, undertaking humanitarian assistance and disaster relief tasks, like the one in Cebu, could address these concerns, she added. “The message is diverse: sovereignty of the Philippines is protected, Japanese forces are a force for helping, not for wars, and their presence is not aggressive,” Abbott said. “As both forces are allowed to coordinate their airlift and support operations as one integrated team, the RAA serves to foster interoperability. The RAA is functional. It is a subtle demonstration of preparedness.” The Cebu operation also allows Japan to highlight that such overseas deployments are aligned with its constitutional limits, and the Philippines to show that foreign troops can serve local communities, according to analysts. Sylwia Monika Gorska, a political analyst who specialises in Southeast Asian issues, said: “The humanitarian-first use of the RAA sends a clear signal of reassurance. It shows that closer defence cooperation can serve lawful, practical aims without crossing constitutional or political red lines.” Japan had undertaken such an operation previously when it sent a relief mission to the Philippines in the wake of Typhoon Haiyan in 2013, Gorska said. The Cebu airlift could lay the groundwork for more complex security operations under the agreement, she added. The recent series of natural disasters, including the Cebu earthquake, and the response by the Philippines and Japan under their agreement, have shown that the scope of regional security cooperation should remain flexible, according to analysts. Given that the Philippines had frequently experienced natural disasters, the joint operation in Cebu highlighted the need for more integrated responses to address the challenges of climate change, said Sarang Shidore, director of the Global South Programme at the Quincy Institute, a Washington-based think tank. “It sends the message that the Philippines is not alone in the region and has partners who are willing to steadily step up their security cooperation with Manila. This is, among other things, an implicit message to China,” Shidore told This Week in Asia.

Philippines and Japan signal defence pact’s depth via aid to quake-hit Cebu

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The humanitarian mission is partly aimed at addressing regional concerns over the pact’s objectives, analysts say

The humanitarian mission is partly aimed at addressing regional concerns over the pact’s objectives, analysts say