The Philippine Economic Zone Authority is pursuing a plan to make the Philippines a hub for armaments and military equipment manufacturing in the region.
“We want to invite all defense industries around the world and other suppliers of military and police equipment to put up operations in the Philippines,” Peza director general Charito Plaza said during the announcement of the forthcoming business mission to the Middle East.
Peza will promote the Philippines in the Middle East because of the latter’s interest in agro-industrial production.
The business mission will coincide with the state visit of President Duterte to Riyadh, Dubai, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman.
Plaza, a former congresswoman, said Hermosa, Bataan mayor Jopet Inton would allocate 3,000 hectares in the town to house military industrial facilities which would be co-located with the government arsenal in Bataan.
The Defense Department Arsenal in Bataan is a defense industrial complex and is the first collaboration between the Defense Department and Peza.
Plaza said the mayor of Puerto Princesa also committed 1,500 hectares for a military industrial park in the capital of Palawan.
She said the agency planned to establish several defense industrial parks in strategic areas “vulnerable to attacks.”
The agency is looking at six military industrial parks, including two in Mindanao. She said all products manufactured inside the defense industrial parks would be for the export market.
Plaza said Peza was in constant communication with the Defense Department to help the agency identify potential areas for military economic zones.
She said the defense industrial parks could also supply the equipment requirements of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
“Instead leasing for land, they can pay us in terms of the equipment we need. For example, within how many years can they supply us, say, of a squadron of military aircraft or a fleet of ships for our navy,” Plaza said.
The Philippines has a standing offer to the defense industries of Russia, China, Israel and Japan to put up their own armament manufacturing in the Philippines.
Plaza is the first lady general of the AFP reserve force with the rank of brigadier general.