DFA says trilateral talks with US, Japan strengthen PHL maritime, economic resilience

THE Philippines’ trilateral talks with the United States and Japan focused on maritime cooperation aimed at promoting a free Indo-Pacific, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro said on Wednesday.

Speaking at the Nikkei Future of Asia forum, Ms. Lazaro said the recent trilateral agreements with the US and Japan, such as the Reciprocal Access Agreement and the Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement, have improved interoperability of the Philippines with the two partner nations.

“It’s also strengthening our defense capability, which is of our national interest. And, of course, for the region, it provides a stable and a peaceful region through the Indo-Pacific as a whole,” Ms. Lazaro said.

Ms. Lazaro also highlighted the Luzon Economic Corridor (LEC) as among the Philippines’ initiatives in actively engaging in collaborative and unilateral solutions to promote economic resilience.

“Together with Japan and the United States, we are actively developing the Luzon Economic Corridor, recently welcoming eight new partner countries to drive investments in clean energy, digital connectivity, and semiconductor supply chains,” she said.

Malacañang in May said the LEC, an initiative addressing infrastructure, logistics, energy and semiconductor-linked industries across Luzon, may generate up to 1 million jobs for Filipinos.

The US Embassy in the Philippines said that the dialogue also covered exchanges on the three nations’ alignment of foreign assistance, joint operations and exercises, and capacity building projects.

The trilateral talks also explored the parties’ views on the South China Sea where the three countries agreed to reaffirm the 2016 Arbitral Ruling Award, according to a press statement by the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines.

During the forum, Ms. Lazaro also addressed the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Code of Conduct (CoC) on the South China Sea.

She said that negotiations have been hosted by the ASEAN member states since January, with Beijing occasionally hosting the dialogues.

“I think it is best that we have and we endeavor to have a good Code of Conduct,” Ms. Lazaro said. “I think it would be better not to have a Code of Conduct if it is a bad Code of Conduct.”

She also renewed her calls for a CoC that is based on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, optimistic that a year of discussions on the agreement would result in a “good conclusion” by the end of the year.

86% IN FAVOR
About 86% of Filipinos are in favor of the Philippines working with allied countries to defend its sovereignty in the South China Sea, according to a Pulse Asia survey.

The survey, commissioned by the Stratbase Institute, found that 56% and 30% of Filipinos, respectively, said they “strongly agree” and “somewhat agree” that the Philippines should “defend the West Philippine Sea (WPS) with like-minded countries.”

This is against 11% who cannot say if they agree or disagree and only 3% who said they disagree. The survey, conducted from May 3 to 7, interviewed 1,500 respondents.

According to Stratbase Institute President and Chief Executive Officer Victor Andres “Dindo” Manhit, the results show a clear stance of Filipinos on the issue of sovereignty.

“Filipinos clearly recognize that upholding the 2016 arbitral award and strengthening cooperation with like-minded nations are essential components of preserving our independence in the 21^st century,” Mr. Dindo said.

In the regional breakdown, Mindanao has the highest support for alliances with allied countries at 91%, followed by the National Capital Region that has 90%.

The survey also found that 84% of Filipinos want the government to cooperate with the United States, followed by Japan with 67%, Australia with 57%, Canada with 51%, and South Korea with 44%.

On the other hand, 23% of respondents in Mindanao said they want to cooperate with China on the issue of WPS defense.

Support for the United States and Japan is also higher compared to the previous December 2025 Stratbase survey, where the US got 82% and Japan with 64%.

According to Mr. Manhit, “These suggest that Filipinos distinguish between countries that support the Philippines’ lawful rights in the WPS and those whose actions have contributed to tensions in the area.” — Kaela Patricia B. Gabriel and Pexcel John Bacon