Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has signed a 1-trillion yen, about 8.7 billion dollars, aid package over the next five years to the Philippines, meant to improve economic and political relations between the two island nations.<br/><br/>The package is focused on infrastructure and energy. Abe's two-day visit to the archipelago makes him the first foreign leader to visit since the election of the Philippines' President Rodrigo Duterte in May 2016. <br/><br/>He told that we will leverage Japanese technology and know-how to the fullest extent to positively cooperate for the improvement of infrastructure in Metro Manila and the whole of the Philippines.<br/><br/>President Rodrigo Duterte issued a statement claiming that his nation and Japan would increase maritime and security cooperation.