Marcos to sign bill boosting capability to build weapons, equipment for AFP
President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. will sign a bill that seeks to strengthen the country’s capability to build weapons and other equipment for the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Tuesday, Senate President Francis Escudero said.
In a statement, Escudero said that one of the aims of the Self-Reliant Defense Posture (SRDP) Revitalization Act or Senate Bill 2455, which is one of the priority measures under the Marcos administration, is to make the country an exporter of defense equipment.
“One of the goals of SRDP is to make the Philippines an exporter of military equipment. With the progress of the local industry, the market will expand and the income of our citizens who are part of the industry will also increase,” Escudero said in a statement.
He said that the proposed law would "have a huge impact on the economy because not only will it create new jobs but also result in foreign currency savings for the government”.
“It is high time for the Philippines to reduce its reliance on its allies for the supply of its defense requirements. We have the capability to produce materiel that matches the quality of our international suppliers and with the right amount of support, they will one day be able to scale up their production and supply 100 percent of our needs,” Escudero said.
Under the bill, the Office of the Undersecretary for Defense Technology Research and Industry Development will be established under the Department of National Defense (DND).
This new office will manage and administer a databank for analysis, conduct research and development, establish public-private partnerships, and recommend and advise the Defense secretary on policies about the defense industry among others.
The bill also provides that local suppliers and manufacturers of defense equipment will be prioritized.
The proposed law will promote active participation of universities and other higher learning institutions in conducting research and provide research grants and development subsidies to program participants.
It also seeks to promote technology transfer, which Escudero said will “ultimately result in the improvement of processes, standards, and efficiency in the manufacturing of materiel”. Jaspearl Tan/DMS
