The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) will receive a record-high PHP50 billion budget for its modernization program in 2025, meant to build up the national defense capabilities amid continued tension in the West Philippine Sea.

The proposal is part of the proposed PHP419.3 billion for the defense sector for next year.

The AFP budget is PHP10 billion higher than this year’s allocation, meant for hardware and systems upgrade.

“In the 2025 national budget, the sum of PHP50 billion in capital outlays has been earmarked to be used exclusively to support the funding requirements of the military’s ongoing modernization projects,” Surigao del Sur 2nd District Rep. Johnny Pimentel said in a news release on Sunday.

Under the Revised AFP Modernization Program Law of 2012, the Secretary of the Department of National Defense (DND) administers the release and use of funds for modernization projects.

Allotments would be issued only upon submission by the DND of the recommendation by the appropriate bids and awards committee of the grant of contracts.

In April, the Department of Budget and Management released the fourth milestone payment of PHP6 billion for the DND’s order of two new multi-role missile corvettes from South Korea’s Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. Ltd.

Due for delivery in 2025 and 2026, the corvettes for the Philippine Navy worth PHP28 billion are capable of anti-ship, anti-submarine and anti-warfare missions.

The first three payments for the projects worth PHP12.75 billion were released on Dec. 10, 2021 (PHP3.75 billion), May 20, 2022 (PHP3 billion) and May 24, 2023 (PHP6 billion).

Pimentel authored House Bill No.1782 that seeks to appropriate PHP5 billion for the installation of new naval forward operating bases to secure the WPS’s vast natural gas and oil deposits that have the potential to supply the country’s energy demand in the decades ahead. (PNA)