President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Tuesday signed a measure to bolster the country’s defense strategies by establishing its resources and capabilities in support of the weaponry and materiel requirements of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and law enforcement agencies.

Marcos signed Republic Act 12024, the Self-Reliant Defense Posture (SRDP) Revitalization Act, which focuses on growing the domestic production and manufacture of defense assets and hardware, in a ceremony at Malacañang.

“We lay today the foundation of resilience shaped by our own ingenuity, our own talent and our unwavering resolve. Through this act, we can build on its legacy and expand upon that same vision — a defense posture that is independent, dynamic, and geared to the future,” Marcos said in a speech after he signed the new law.

Marcos noted the SRDP law is designed to cultivate a robust and sustainable national defense industry in the country by “establishing a structured approach to defense development.”

He stressed the need to enhance and update the country’s defense systems to “meet unique requirements and stay ahead of evolving threats, particularly asymmetrical threats that traditional systems may effectively address.”

“The strategy is clear; we start by strengthening the foundations — the research, the production capabilities, and institutional support — then build upwards, layer by layer, until we have an industry that can stand strong and succeed on its own,” he said.

The new law is the government’s commitment to a long-term growth trajectory for a national defense industry that will support the defense requirements of the Philippines, he added.

“It’s a logical move forward for a country that finds itself at the fulcrum of geopolitical shifts and volatilities,” he said.

With this new development, Marcos has vowed to ensure that every peso spent and every effort made in the implementation of the SRDP Revitalization Law would “directly contribute to the country’s goal of self-reliance.”

Public-private partnership

The President called on the private sector and research institutions to support the country’s push for a self-reliant defense posture.

“By establishing a clear framework for public-private partnerships, we invite local innovative councils, invention societies, universities and learning institutions to contribute to something greater — to help protect the sovereignty and security of our nation,” he said.

He emphasized the need for private sector support to meet the AFP’s immediate and growing military hardware requirements.

“To the private sector, this is an invitation to build a lasting defense industry. To our esteemed research institutions, let your innovations shape our future and drive us toward self-reliance,” he said.

The National Defense Industry Development Plan will serve as the guiding document for this initiative, outlining principles and goals for the Philippine defense sector in the coming years.

Senator Imee Marcos, who advocated for the revival of the SRDP program initiated by their father in 1974, praised her brother’s approval of RA 12024. She noted that the country was already producing M-16 rifles, steel helmets, hand grenades, handheld radios, and Jiffy jeeps under the SRDP program.

Crucial to AFP modernization

In an interview in Malacañang, AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. expressed hope with the signing of the SRDP Revitalization Law.

“We have been waiting for this for so long because to progress and develop its capability, the AFP needs a robust defense industry,” Brawner said in Filipino.

He emphasized the urgent need to fast-track the military modernization to address the changing security environment in the region.

“We are hopeful that our defense industry will improve to allow us to modernize our armed forces effectively and quickly, as we really need to hasten our modernization,” he said.

Welcome development in AFP

In a separate press conference at Camp Aguinaldo, AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla described the newly enacted measure as a “very welcome development” for the military, aligning with the AFP’s legal framework to enhance readiness against internal and external threats.

“We’ve been waiting for this to materialize. This solidifies our commitment to building our internal capabilities,” Padilla told reporters. “We are focused on strengthening our alliances, our modernization projects, and comprehensive defense strategies.”

Padilla highlighted the law’s potential to create long-term economic benefits through a thriving local defense industry, contributing to jobs creation and technological advancements in the country.

Facilitating the defense industry

Meanwhile, the Department of National Defense said the new law will facilitate the domestic production and manufacture of defense assets and hardware.

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. stressed the importance of promoting innovations and technological breakthroughs in the defense sector.

He noted that the law aims to enhance AFP capabilities across multiple domains, ultimately facilitating a credible defense posture and self-reliance.

By developing a national defense industry, Teodoro said the law would harness local enterprises’ potential through partnerships with original equipment manufacturers from like-minded countries willing to assist with technology transfers.