Enhanced collaboration is eyed as Philippine and Japan air forces chiefs met virtually last week.

Col. Ma. Consuelo Castillo, Philippine Air Force public affairs chief, said Tuesday the meeting between Lt. Gen. Arthur Cordura and Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) Chief of Staff Gen. Uchikura Hiroaki were held to deepen ties and strengthen defense cooperation between the two air forces.

"The discussion focused on regional security challenges in the Indo Pacific and emphasized the need for enhanced collaboration to promote peace and stability," she said.

Castillo said during the meeting the two leaders also "reaffirmed their commitments to expanding joint training, future exchanges and collaborative efforts to strengthen interoperability, reflecting their shared dedication to addressing emerging security challenges and fostering mutual trust".

She also announced the 4th-iteration of Doshin-Bayanihan this year.

"Notably, we're also going to hold our next iteration of the Doshin (Bayanihan), which is an annual bilateral training between the Philippine Air Force and Japan air Self Defense Force, which is focused on humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR) training," she said

Doshin-Bayanihan in 2024 which was participated by 33 members of the JASDF and 127 troops from the Philippine Air Force was held in Mactan last October. Robina Asido/DMS