The Senate on Wednesday assured the Department of National Defense and the Armed Forces of the Philippines that it will push for the allocation of more funds for next year to further strengthen the country's defense operations.

After extensive deliberation, the Senate Committee on Finance has approved the 2024 proposed budget of the DND and its attached, including the revised AFP Modernization Program, "subject to possible budgetary adjustments."

The DND's proposed budget will then be again submitted to the Senate plenary for deliberation and approval.

Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri expressed full support for the defense sector's efforts to defend the country amid the increasing tension in the West Philippine Sea.

With this, Zubiri committed to increasing the DND and AFP's budget for next year for more heightened defense initiatives.

"But you know my dear friends, courage can only take us so far. And that is why, if we really want to truly defend our country and our seas, we must support their budget. Not only the budget that they have now… We're going to support, through the efforts of the Senate, an increase in their budget, especially in the defense spending," he said.

In his presentation, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said the DND is seeking a total of P229.9 billion in funding under the 2024 National Expenditure Program.

Teodoro presented a 12 percent increase compared to the P204.5-billion DND budget allocated under its 2023 General Appropriation Act.

Major service units
Of the budget, the AFP will get P221.6 billion, which will be divided among its major service units including the Philippine Army, Philippine Air Force, and Philippine Navy, as well as the general AFP headquarters and AFP-wide service support units.

The DND will get P1.2 billion while the remaining P7 billion will go to civilian bureaus, like the Government Arsenal, Office of Civil Defense, National Defense College of the Philippines, Philippine Veterans Affairs Office and Veterans Memorial Medical Center.