The Philippines and the United States have long been allies in the international arena, which has not only helped in strengthening national security and defense but also maintaining stability in the Asia-Pacific Region.

This alliance has been reinforced under President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s administration with the signing last year of the Philippines-Security Sector Assistance Roadmap (P-SSAR), an agreement that aligns the joint priorities of both countries in enhancing the capabilities of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).

P-SSAR was finalized on July 29, 2024, a day before the fourth Philippines-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue. The roadmap outlines the “bilaterally determined priority capability requirements of the AFP and the PCG to be supported by Philippine national funds and US capacity-building efforts, programs, and activities.”

P-SSAR was officially signed on July 30 by US Ambassador to the Philippines Mary Kay Carlson and Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez. During a press conference, then-US State Secretary Antony Blinken assured that the defense and security support by the US would continue regardless of who sits at the White House. P-SSAR will guide on sharing defense modernization planning and investments and information on delivering priority platforms over the next five to ten years.

“The future we’re striving toward is one with greater interoperability and cooperation among like-minded Indo-Pacific partners, and this means enhanced reciprocal access, more participation in larger and more complex regional exercises, greater investment together in advanced capabilities and Manila stands at an intersection of all of that,” said Ely Ratner, then-US assistant defense secretary, prior to the ministerial summit.

Groundbreaking partnership

Manila and Washington DC initially pledged to further strengthen their alliance through the creation of the groundbreaking P-SSAR during the 2022 US-Philippine Bilateral Strategic Dialog (BSD). Since then, bilateral consultations have been conducted by the US Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) with the Philippines’ Department of National Defense (DND), Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Department of Transportation (the agency overseeing the PCG), the US Indo-Pacific Command, and the US Department of State.

In January 2024, President Marco acknowledged the advantages of the bilateral cooperation, highlighting P-SSAR as “an example of our increased bilateral cooperation.” P-SSAR was commended for underscoring the commitment of the two nations to transforming their alliance and significantly enhancing security matters in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) and the region.

Following the 2024 BSD held in Manila from April 22 to 23, Manila and Washington DC issued a joint statement providing an update on the status of P-SSAR. The two nations said the conclusion and signing of the roadmap was among the priorities in 2024.

Better interoperability

As part of the commitment to push through with enhancing Filipino troops’ defense capability and interoperability with American counterparts through P-SSAR, the SSAR Working Group Workshop was conducted from July 11 to 13 at the AFP Commissioned officers’ Country in Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.

The three-day workshop was part of the deals agreed upon during the April ministerial meeting in Washington DC, where it was emphasized that the roadmap adhered to the vision of the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) between the Philippines and the US.

“SSAR (a roadmap shared with other nations) involved the provision of support, training, and assistance by the US to help partner nations strengthen their security sector, including defense forces. These partnerships aim to promote stability, build capacity, and enhance the effectiveness of the partner country’s security forces,” said AFP public affairs office chief Lt. Col. Enrico Gil Ileto.

$500-M grant for AFP, PCG modernization

On the day of P-SSAR signing and the fourth Philippines-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue in Manila, Washington announced the allocation of a USD500 million (about PHP29.3 billion) worth of assistance to help fund the ongoing modernization of the AFP and PCG.

“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,” said Blinken. He described the grant as “new steps to strengthen the alliance, a once-in-a-generation investment to help modernize” the AFP and PCG.

“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,” said then-US Department of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III. He reiterated that Washington is committed to providing continuous bipartisan support to Manila, noting that the Philippine-US relationship “goes beyond allies.” “I’ve said a number of times that we’re more than allies. We’re family.”

For his part, DFA Secretary Manalo said, “I can say that, aside from having shared interests, shared strategic outlook, all those factors will combine to ensure that our relationship continues beyond perhaps seven decades, and even more so.” Manalo also emphasized that “the Philippines will continue to uphold and protect the rules-based international order in the midst of a regional landscape that is significantly under stress.”

PH’s credible deterrent posture

DND Secretary Teodoro said the new US military grant will make the country’s deterrent posture more credible. “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,” he said. Teodoro assured that every peso or dollar spent on “hardening Philippine capabilities” in defending itself and deterring unlawful aggression from other countries will be a “plus against any threat actor.”

Maritime law expert Jay Batongbacal thinks the military aid coming from the US could help enhance the maritime and air defense capabilities of the AFP. “For me, I think our maritime and air capabilities need enhancement because our Army already has enough capabilities,” Batongbacal said during an interview at “Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon” aired over PTV-4 on Aug. 1. “Also, our Philippine Marines, which are part of the Navy, should be given attention because our archipelago needs this kind of external defense capability wherein the Air Force, the Navy, and the Marines are on the frontlines.” (PNA)