Japan and Philippines will announce new "defense, trade, investment and human resources" deals as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is set to leave for his first state visit to "The Land of the Rising Sun" on Tuesday.

The two countries are commemorating the 70th anniversary of the normalization of their diplomatic relations this year. Marcos will be in Japan from Tuesday until May 29.

In a press briefing on Monday, Foreign Affairs spokesperson Analyn Ratonel said Marcos and First Lady Liza will be received by the Emperor and Empress at the Imperial Palace for a welcome ceremony and a state call.

"Their Majesties will also host a state banquet in honor of the President and the First Lady. During their audience, the First Couple and the Imperial Couple will mutually confer and exchange decorations," she said.

"The President will also hold a summit meeting with Prime Minister (Sanae) Takaichi where the two leaders are expected to discuss Philippines-Japan cooperation," he added.

During their meeting, Marcos and Takaichi are expected to discuss cooperation in security, maritime and defense including the transfer of the military equipment; economy; energy resilience, decarbonization, and emerging and future-oriented sectors of both countries.

"The two leaders are also expected to talk about regional and global issues that affect Philippines and Japan like the ASEAN and challenges in the Indo-Pacific Region and developments in the Middle East," Ratonel said.

"The two countries are expected to announce new agreements on defense, trade and investment, and human resources," she added.

Japan and the Philippines signed the reciprocal access agreement in 2024 that allows soldiers of both countries to be deployed in each other's nations for joint exercise.

Both countries also inked the Acquisition and Cross Servicing Agreement last January which sets basic conditions for the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Japan Self-Defense Forces to swap supplies and services.

Marcos held talks with Takaichi in the sidelines of the 2025 Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit in Kuala Lumpur.

Ratonel said the meeting may also include dialogue about the "POWERR Asia" initiative of Japan or the "partnership on wide energy and resources resilience" that was launched by Takaichi last April 15.

"POWERR Asia allotted ten billion US dollars which can be used by countries in Asia to acquire or import oil supply, to ensure the proper movement of the supply chain, to increase the supply of crude in the region and the diversification of energy resources," she said.

"We in the Philippines are really working to have a long-term energy supply, that is why the President wants to cooperate with Japan to expand the renewable energy in the country," she added.

Ratonel said Marcos is also scheduled to meet with Japanese business groups and members of the Filipino Community during their state visit. Robina Asido/PHS