CAMP AGUINALDO, Quezon City — Amidst ongoing arguments in disputed areas of the West Philippine Sea (WPS) which have triggered heated debates even among military authorities and some legislators, the Japanese government has gone ahead with its mutual defense ties with the formal turn over of coastal radar systems to to marking the country’s first project under Japan’s Official Security Assistance (OSA) framework.

OSA is Japan’s grant aid framework that provides equipment, supplies and infrastructure support to the armed forces and related organizations of partner countries. By enhancing security and deterrence capabilities, the program seeks to strengthen Japan’s security cooperation with recipients and contribute to international peace and stability.

Japanese Ambassador Kazuya Endo disclosed that the decision to provide the country with the modern radar systems underscores the deepening security partnership between Tokyo and Manila and thereby fulfills mutual defense commitments to ensure stability in the region now experiencing tension due to Chinese aggression.

According to Endo, the radar systems were provided through a 600 million yen (approximately ₱224.3 million) OSA grant agreed upon during then–Prime Minister Kishida Fumio’s visit to the Philippines in November 2023. The exchange of notes at the time made the Philippines the first recipient of Japan’s OSA assistance.

In his remarks after the turnover ceremony attended by no less than Philippine defense secretary Gilbert Eduardo Gerardo 'Gibo' Teodoro Jr., Endo said the systems are expected to strengthen Philippine coastal surveillance and maritime domain awareness, contributing to regional stability in the Indo-Pacific. The radar systems are intended to support the Philippine Navy’s coastal monitoring capabilities.

The ambassador likewise welcomed the steady expansion of security cooperation between Japan and the Philippines, stressing that cooperation between Manila and Tokyo are important factors in maintaining and strengthening peace and security, especially in the face of aggressive action from rival claimants in the South China Sea (SCS).

For his part, Secretary Teodoro expressed gratitude for Japan’s support in modernizing the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) even as he reaffirmed Manila’s commitment to close coordination with Tokyo in the security field.