Report on the 4th Joint Committee Meeting on Healthcare between Japan and the Philippines

Published: August 21, 2026
Cabinet Secretariat, Government of Japan

[日本語版はこちら]

image

 On Wednesday, August 19, 2026, the 4th Joint Committee Meeting on Healthcare (JCM) between Japan and the Philippines was held as a high-level dialogue between the two governments. The meeting was convened based on the Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) on Healthcare signed between the Government of Japan and the Department of Health of the Republic of the Philippines, under the framework of the “Asia Health and Wellbeing Initiative (AHWIN)” (decided by the Headquarters for Healthcare Policy in July 2018).

 The meeting confirmed the progress of cooperation in three areas – Elderly Care, Universal Health Coverage (UHC), and Disaster Health Management – and discussed future efforts to further deepen the cooperative relationship between the two countries.

1．Background

  • ●
    The Office of Healthcare Policy, Cabinet Secretariat, Government of Japan promotes “Asia Health and Wellbeing Initiative (AHWIN)” which aims to achieve a “Healthy Longevity Society” in partner countries through the provision of excellent services and products by Japanese private-sector businesses in the healthcare field, as well as through mutually complementary cooperation with each country. This initiative is implemented in accordance with the "Healthcare Policy" (Phase 3) (approved by the Cabinet of Japan in February 2025).
  • ●
    Between Japan and the Republic of the Philippines, the Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC)PDFを別ウィンドウで開きます was signed in February 2019, and the "Joint Committee Meeting (JCM) on Healthcare" was established under the MOC as a forum for high-level dialogue between the two governments.
  • ●
    The 1st JCM was held in September 2021 (hosted by Japan, online); the 2nd JCM was held in March 2023 (hosted by the Philippines); and the 3rd JCM was held in July 2024 (hosted by Japan)

2．Overview of the 4th JCM

 Among the areas of cooperation under the MOC, two countries confirmed the progress of cooperation in the following three areas. The two sides also reaffirmed the importance of further strengthening their complementary partnership by leveraging each other’s strengths, and discussed concrete steps and approaches to achieve this goal.

Agenda:

  • I.  
    Elderly Care
  • II. 
    Universal Health Coverage (UHC)
  • III.
    Disaster Health Management
〇 Date and Time: Wednesday, August 19, 2026, 9:00 am – 12:30 pm
〇 Venue: Manila, Republic of the Philippines
〇 Participants:

Japanese Side:

  • ●
    Ambassador HAYASHI Teiji, Ambassador for Global Health
  • ●
    Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (*1)
  • ●
    Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)
  • ●
    Embassy of Japan in the Philippines
  • ●
    Prof. KUBO Tatsuhiko, M.D., PhD (Professor, Department of Public Health and Health Policy, Hiroshima University)

And Others

  • (*1)
    Participated online

Philippine Side:

  • ●
    Undersecretary Maylene M. Beltran, Department of Health
  • ●
    Department of Health
  • ●
    National Center for Geriatric Health
image_The 4th Joint Committee Meeting on Healthcare between Japan and the Philippines

The 4th Joint Committee Meeting on Healthcare between Japan and the Philippines

Adobe® Reader®ダウンロード（別ウィンドウで開きます）
PDF形式のファイルはAdobe Readerが必要です。