Philippines Aims to Diversify Defense Funding as Sea Row Lingers
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US and Philippine troops launch a rocket from a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), as part of joint army-to-army drills in 2024.
Photographer: Ezra Acayan/Getty Images
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The Philippines is seeking to expand funding sources to bolster its defense capability with submarines and missile systems as Donald Trump’s policies spur uncertainty over US financial and military support across the globe.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. may issue an order that would enable foreign commercial funding for armed forces modernization, military chief Romeo Brawner said Wednesday. At the same time, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro led recent discussions with the Bankers Association of the Philippines about tapping local lenders for military upgrade.