MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine government is planning to allocate a record P25-billion ($550-M) next year for the modernization program of its armed forces which will be spent mostly in buying new navy frigates, radars and surveillance planes.
These equipment is expected to boost the surveillance and detection capability of the Philippine armed forces amid territorial row with China in the West Philippine Sea.
The amount will be included in the 2016 national budget proposal which will be submitted to the Congress for deliberation and approval next week after President Benigno Aquino’s last state of the nation address (SONA).
The proposed amount for military modernization is 25 percent more than what was allocated for 2015 and is included in next year’s nearly P3-trillion annual budget. It is also part of the P75-B, 5-year military upgrade program Aquino approved in 2013.
Budget Secretary Florencio Abad acknowledged that the main factor which influenced the steady increase in military spending is the Philippines’ current maritime dispute with China over a group of islands in the West Philippine Sea.
“We need to protect what is clearly within our territorial jurisdiction,” Inquirer quoted Secretary Abad as saying. “Certainly, we need to at least be able to effectively monitor the developments in the area, particularly those in disputed zones.”
Part of the amount will be used in the acquisition of new and modern frigates and patrol planes while the rest will go to the yearly amortization to be paid for the FA-50 fighter jets the Defense department earlier ordered from South Korea.
The Department of National Defense (DND) welcomes the latest development and said they have been pushing for the modernization of the armed forces for so many years now.
“This budget will allow us more latitude in acquiring new assets for the Armed Forces of the Philippines,” said spokesman Arsenio Andolong. “We are pushing hard on modernization and we will need all the help we can get. This includes the purchase of frigates and patrol aircraft.”
The Philippine’s defense budget may have ballooned over the years under the Aquino administration, but it remains a paltry amount when compared to China which had just approved US $142.9-billion budget for its military expansion this year.