MANILA – The Philippines and Japan are exploring partnerships, particularly in clean energy, trade and investment.
This is confirmed by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) after Trade Secretary Fred Pascual met with his counterpart, Minister Saito Ken of Japan, on the sidelines of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) Ministerial Meeting in Singapore.
“Building on the successful trilateral meeting between the United States, Japan, and the Philippines, we are eyeing more opportunities to strengthen our existing bilateral trade and economic partnership with Japan,” Secretary Pascual said.
According to the DTI, the two countries welcomed opportunities for a green transition, with Japan conveying the interest of Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) to participate in the development of a waste-to-energy project.
For his part, Secretary Pascual recognized the successful Philippine Freeports and Economic Zones Roadshow in Osaka, which showcased the Philippines’ investment potential to Japanese businesses in the manufacturing, logistics, energy, agriculture and other sectors.
Highlighting the outcomes of the Trilateral Ministerial Meeting with the U.S. and Japan, Pascual also expressed the government’s receptiveness to the Open Radio Access Network (RAN) initiative of Japan, which presents plans to strengthen digital capacities and establish an ORAN academy in the country.
According to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), which operates under the US Department of Commerce, Open RAN is a system where the requirements to operate internet systems are disaggregated — meaning, systems would not have to be built using components from a single provider.
This allows industries to operate using components across the field because interfaces have been standardized, which translates to compatibility, NIST stated.
Japan also affirmed its support for the development of the Luzon Economic Corridor, under the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGI) Accelerator, which is expected to boost growth in key industries such as electronics, semiconductors, and clean energy.
Further, both countries discussed the potential to collaborate in the critical minerals sector, particularly the Philippines’ strong interest in joining the Critical Minerals Agreement, which would strengthen cooperation in this area, the DTI said.
The Philippines also pushed for the resumption of the General Review of the Philippines-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (PJEPA), emphasizing that the agreement aims to expand economic ties beyond trade in goods, covering areas like services trade, digital economy, and sustainability, the DTI added.
