a day ago
A look at Japan's largest warship JS Ise while it was docked in Manila
The JS Ise, one of Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force's largest Hyuga-class helicopter destroyers, arrives at the Port of Manila on Saturday, June 21, 2025. GMA Integrated News
On Saturday morning, the JS Ise, one of Japan's largest Hyuga-class helicopter destroyers, arrived at the Port of Manila.
The vessel is part of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) and is currently on its Indo-Pacific Deployment 2025.
As one of the Philippines' strongest allies, Japan received a warm welcome. The Philippine Navy Band was in full force to greet the Japanese sailors, playing as officials disembarked.
GMA Integrated News was among the few invited to tour the JS Ise.
Upon stepping onto the flight deck, one immediately notices the sheer size of the warship.
The deck is large enough to accommodate military helicopters such as the SH-60K, which was also on display.
Beyond its modern command and control systems, the JS Ise is equipped with powerful anti-submarine and anti-aircraft capabilities, making it a formidable presence in the region.
According to the ship's commanding officer, their visit to the Philippines aims to promote regional security and cooperation. It also marks an opportunity to strengthen joint training exercises, especially now that the Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) between Japan and the Philippines has officially taken effect.
'This port call is contributing in peace and stability in the region to realize a free and open Indo-Pacific,' Rear Admiral Natsui Takashi, commander of Escort Flotilla 4 (CCF4), said.
The RAA is a formal agreement that enhances cooperation between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Japan Self-Defense Forces. It was signed by the Philippines and Japan in July 2024.
Under this agreement, the JMSDF can now participate in joint military exercises in the Philippines—something previously limited to maritime cooperative activities.
Alongside the JS Ise, another Japanese warship, the JS Suzunami—a Takanami-class destroyer—also docked at the Port of Manila.
The JMSDF emphasized that their presence in the Philippines is part of their commitment to peaceful defense cooperation and military exchanges. They clarified that the deployment is not intended to provoke or confront any specific country.
However, the arrival of these warships came just one day after the China Coast Guard once again used water cannons against a Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) vessel operating within the country's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the West Philippine Sea. The BFAR vessel was delivering supplies to Filipino fishermen at the disputed Scarborough Shoal when the incident occurred.
China has previously criticized the Philippines for seeking alliances, claiming it only adds tension to the South China Sea.
In response to recent developments, RADM Natsui Takashi stated: 'I recognized China has recently activated military activities… also I recognize unilateral changes to the status quo by force and such attempts are serious challenge to the free and open international order based on the Rule of Law, and the JMSDF has continued to watch Chinese naval activities and take preparations for ISR and surveillance.'
As of now, the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines has not issued a response to the JMSDF's statement.
China continues to assert that nearly the entire South China Sea, including the West Philippine Sea, is part of its territory, citing its so-called "ten-dash line" historical map.
However, this claim was invalidated by the 2016 ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration, which declared China's actions illegal and upheld the Philippines' sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea. —KG, GMA Integrated News
