Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. underscored the urgency of strengthening the Philippines’ defense capabilities during a keynote address at the recent US-ASEAN Business Council’s 2025 Aerospace, Defense, and Security (ADS) Mission to the Philippines.

Speaking to delegates from major U.S. defense, finance, and security firms, Teodoro framed the development of a credible deterrent posture not just as a strategic imperative but also as a practical financial approach.

“Credible deterrence is a cost-saving measure, not a cost substitution measure,” Teodoro said.

“You can never escape the hard fact that sooner or later, your lack of substance will catch up with you.”

Teodoro pointed to the Philippines’ geopolitical and socio-economic vulnerabilities given its strategic location in the Indo-Pacific, highlighting the need for resilient, military-grade infrastructure close to key maritime chokepoints.

“The Philippine defense system now is busy catching up on infrastructure development, our strategic basing, warehousing, quality storage, adequate infrastructure that is of military grade, military use facilities that are secure, resilient, and as located as near as possible to our choke points,” he explained.

Teodoro also emphasized the continued reform and modernization of the defense organization, particularly the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), through efforts such as “reconfiguration, re-strategizing, and mission role clarification” to enhance the country’s capability for external defense.

“Our role now is to provide as much deterrence as possible in order for our president, our diplomats, and all our other sectors to have as big a toolkit as possible to protect our interests peacefully,” he stated.

He continued: “Secondly, we have to provide that deterrence because we have already tried alternative dispute resolution mechanisms. And alternative dispute resolution mechanisms only work when you have a stick behind you.”

The 2025 ADS Mission provided a platform for dialogue between Philippine defense officials and U.S. industry leaders, offering context on the country’s defense buildup amid rising regional and global security challenges.

Teodoro then emphasized the importance of staying ahead in national defense, warning against complacency.

“It is more painful to be behind the curve because one day you need to be on that curve. If not, you lose. And you have to win in whatever objective you set,” he said.

Teodoro stressed that the country must aim for a “firm win,” not a temporary one.

“For me, the win is nobody touches the Philippines – whatever it may be,” he declared.