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Philippines military modernization plan faces delays over budget limits
Critics say the Philippines is short on funding, arguing the defense budget should be at least 100 billion pesos a year to meet a 2034 modernization timeline.
The Philippines military modernization roadmap is at risk of delays due to budget constraints, according to analysis cited by SCMP Economy, with critics questioning President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s commitment to the program.
SCMP Economy reports that in 2024 Marcos approved a revised 1.9 trillion Philippine pesos, or about US$30 billion, plan to acquire newer military assets through 2034, aimed at strengthening the military’s ability to project power in areas of the South China Sea Manila considers its territory.
In a July State of the Nation Address, Marcos vowed to continue upholding a 2016 arbitral award under which a tribunal in The Hague negated China’s nine-dash line, a position that overlaps with the Philippines claims in the contested waterway.
Defense and security analyst Manuel Mogato, as quoted by SCMP Economy, said the promise amounts to “mere lip service,” adding that the yearly defense budget should be at least 100 billion pesos to complete modernization by 2034, and noting Marcos did not allocate money for new hardware in the next year’s budget.