The Philippines entered into key defense agreements and conducted unilateral and bilateral military drills with allied and partner nations in 2025, the military reported on Monday.
At the forefront of Manila’s diplomatic gains was the entry into force of the Reciprocal Access Agreement with Japan in September, allowing large-scale deployment of Japanese troops for joint drills in the Philippines.
In a year-end report by Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, Philippine Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, the Philippines also signed a Status of Visiting Forces Agreement with New Zealand on April 30, the first such pact with a South Pacific state.
The agreement allows troop presence for humanitarian assistance and disaster response and collective security operations.
This was followed by a Defense Cooperation Agreement with Germany on May 14 focusing on cybersecurity, logistics, and defensive weapons transfers.
Another milestone came on November 2 with the signing of a Status of Visiting Forces Agreement with Canada, marking Ottawa’s first military access pact in the Indo-Pacific.
Negotiations for a Visiting Forces Agreement with France also advanced, with the second round concluding on December 11 and a formal signing expected early this year.
According to the Armed Forces of the Philippines, 2025 also saw strengthened joint and unilateral exercises.
Balikatan in April and May involved forces from the Philippines, the United States, Australia, and Japan, including the first integrated missile defense drills in Batanes.
Salaknib, held from March to July, focused on long-range rocket artillery operations, including the deployment of the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System in Luzon.
Kamandag honed island seizure and beach landing capabilities of forces from the Philippines, the United States, Japan, and Korea.
Later exercises included ALON, featuring joint force operations and live-fire drills, and SAMASAMA, which advanced anti-submarine warfare training with the United States, Canada, and Japan.
The AFP capped the year with AJEX DAGIT-PA in November, testing joint readiness across the Army, Air Force, and Navy.
