Top American diplomatic and defense officials on Tuesday formally announced that Washington DC would allot assistance worth USD500 million (around PHP29.3 billion) to help in the ongoing modernization program of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Department of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III made the announcement during the 2 + 2 Ministerial Meeting with their Philippine counterparts, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo and Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.

“We’re now allocating an additional USD500 million in foreign military financing (FMF) to the Philippines to boost security collaboration with our oldest treaty ally in the region,” Blinken said.

The American top diplomat also described the grant, “new steps to strengthen the alliance, a once-in-a generation investment to help modernize” the AFP and PCG.

Meanwhile, Austin said the US is working with the Philippines to advance its shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific.

“And together we are taking bold steps to strengthen our alliance. Today, as you heard Secretary Blinken and I announced that we are poised to deliver a once-in-generation investment to help modernize the AFP and the PCG,” he added.

Austin added that they are now working with the US Congress for the grant of the FMF to Manila.

“This level of funding is unprecedented and it sends a clear message of support for the Philippines from the Biden administration, the US Congress and the American people. Today we also concluded the first ever bilateral Security Sector Assistance Roadmap. That roadmap will ensure that our mutual investments go toward the most important capabilities,” he said.

Austin also said the US Department of Defense intends to more than double its investment in Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) locations across the Philippines.

“President (Joe) Biden’s budget request this year includes more than a USD 128 million dollar to fund important EDCA infrastructure projects and US government investment in these locations extends beyond the Department of Defense. For example, the USAID (United States Agency for International Development) plans to preposition a vast of relief supplies in EDCA locations later this year,” he added.

This will allow the US Department of Defense to work alongside with the Philippines allies provide humanitarian assistance in times of need, Austin said, Currently, there are nine EDCA locations in various locations in the country.

“Now during our meeting, we also reaffirmed that the Mutual Defense Treaty remains the bedrock of our alliance. And let me be clear, the Mutual Defense Treaty applies to armed attacks on either of our Armed Forces, aircraft or public vessels anywhere in (the) South China Sea. together we also discuss how to make our alliance even more secure through technology and security and cyber cooperation,” Austin said.

Meanwhile, Teodoro said the assistance from the US would help improve the Philippines’ credible deterrent posture.

“The priorities will be laid down in the Security Sector Assistance Roadmap. Naturally, a lot of our inherent hardening capabilities are included like cyber capabilities and the like. These and all the EDCA investments will serve to secure the Philippines’ credible deterrent posture,” he added.

Teodoro also added that every peso or dollar spent on “hardening Philippine capabilities” to defend itself and to deter unlawful aggression will be a plus against any “threat actor”.

“The EDCA investments are not only solely for defense purposes but are also for civil defense purposes like humanitarian assistance and disaster response. They can be venues for joint cooperation and interoperability between the United States and the Philippines and multilaterally with like-minded nations. And likewise they will serve also as venues for economic development like Secretary Austin had said with the USAID,” Teodoro noted.

Teodoro also emphasized that these are “multidimensional investments” that will spur the country’s development, aside from deterring unwanted and unlawful aggression. (PNA)