President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos honor the country’s most outstanding choirs in a ceremony titled Gintong Parangal: Honoring the Champion Choirs of 2024 at Malacañan Palace on November 24, 2024. Yummie Dingding, PPA pool/File

MANILA — The Philippines on Wednesday reiterated its commitment to further strengthen cooperation with Japan and the United States towards a free and open Indo-Pacific Region.

This, as President Ferdinand Marcos welcomed in Malacanang Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi, who is currently in Manila for a two-day visit.

The Philippine leader welcomed the Japanese official for his visit, which comes in the heels of Marcos Jr’s three-way virtual meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and US President Joe Biden Monday on their continued cooperation on the Indo-Pacific, following the landmark trilateral agreement signed in Washington in 2024.

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“I think that it is good that we continue these discussions, I hope that we will be able to have a chance, the Philippine side, to explain and show what has been done in terms of the agreement since the signing of the tripartite agreement,” Marcos said.

“We were able, during our zoom meeting with President Biden and your Prime Minister to once again reiterate our commitment to the tripartite agreement. And to the elements within the agreement. And we have done the work
since the signing of the agreement and hope that we will be able to, I know the DFA has already been able to give you an overview of at least the diplomatic side of what we have been doing in terms of the tripartite agreement.
Further, also on the economic side, I think you have also received some of the information as to what has been happening here in the Philippines and between our countries, again, since the signing.”

The Japanese Foreign Minister meanwhile noted the importance of having likeminded countries to work together amid increasing challenges in the region, as he called for the Philippine leader’s support in advancing cooperation between Manila and Tokyo.

“The Philippines is a strategic partner of Japan as we share fundamental values and principles. In today’s international community where divisions and conflicts are becoming more serious, the cooperation of likeminded countries is becoming increasingly important,” he said.

“In order to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific, I would like to ask for your continued support in strengthening cooperation between Japan and the Philippines on security issues and other global affairs.”

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