It is scheduled to happen from May 26 to 29.
In an interview in Malacañang with Japanese media on Monday, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the Philippines will seek to further strengthen cooperation with Japan.
One of the key topics they will discuss is energy security, noting Tokyo’s increasingly active role in addressing energy supply concerns.
“We will again try to engage Japan and to see how it will work together with Japan, as Japan has now taken a more active role when it comes to the subject of energy and the energy supply,” President Marcos said.
He continued, “We are actually very grateful to Japan because Japan has been of great assistance to us in trying to find different solutions for the supply of the different kinds of fuel. And that has become a critical part of our policy.”
Marcos noted Japan’s role in energy security after the 48th ASEAN Summit in Cebu, where measures to secure the region’s electricity and fuel supplies, including establishing an oil reserve and a common grid for ASEAN member countries, were tackled.
In addition, Japan has offered a response mechanism to provide up to US$10 billion in assistance through the Partnership on Wide Energy and Resources Resilience (POWERR Asia) that was launched by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi last April.
This initiative aims to help Asian nations secure crude oil, diversify critical minerals, and build sustainable, zero-emission supply chains to protect economies from Middle East-related supply shocks.
“And we will again try to get more clarity on what the POWERR Asia system that has been proposed by Prime Minister Takaichi,” he told. “What does it mean in terms of linkages between our different countries, between the Philippines and Japan, and between all of the countries in the region?”
“So it is extensively used for supply procurement, for supply chain maintenance, and for crude oil stockpiling capacity augmentation in Asia,” the Chief Executive added.
The Philippines, ASEAN, and Japan can also explore the acceleration of the adoption of renewable energy to shield themselves against shocks stemming from geopolitical tensions.
“This is what’s happening in my view. This is what’s happening in the shorter term. Of course, when February 28 came about, everyone was scrambling to see what are we going to do, where do we get our fuel,” Marcos noting the war between the United States and Iran, which began on February 28, 2026.
Meanwhile, also high up in the agenda between both leaders is security cooperation, with President Marcos saying it will be “a very important part of that discussion.”
“First of all, what we have agreed upon is the reciprocal access agreement, for example, and the acquisition and cross-servicing agreement that was signed last January. We want, I’m sure, we are going to discuss those to fully implement those agreements,” he added.
The Philippine chief executive also noted the new approach to security and defense, including exporting weaponry in the region, by the Japanese firms.
Marcos looks to also bring it up in their discussion, as he looks to clarify matters such as further cooperation and assistance not only from the point of view of the Philippines, but of the entire ASEAN region as well.
The President said the official security assistance to the Philippines, such as radar and support systems, information and technology sharing, as well as personnel training, will also be tackled.
On the security side, Japan is also taking an active role for the first time in the Balikatan exercises this year, PBBM shared. It is a significant development in the continuing cooperation and training of personnel for better interoperability.
Also part of the discussions will be the assistance the Philippines is receiving from Japan for the modernization of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
Meanwhile, the President also pointed out that there are many areas that need to be explored based on the two nations’ shared values concerning adherence to international law, especially the UNCLOS.