The envisioned establishment of an indigenous defense industry capable of producing advanced weapons is now within grasp after lawmakers on Monday reconciled disagreeing provisions of House Bill 9713 and Senate Bill 2455, otherwise known as the proposed Self-Reliant Defense Posture Revitalization (SRDP) Act.
Labeled as a priority bill by the Legislative-Executive Development Council (LEDAC), the measure aims to reduce the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ (AFP) dependence on imported weapons amid China’s growing aggression.
On Monday, Former Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said he is hopeful that ratification of the SRDP will be a key step toward a fully credible national defense posture and a more independent foreign policy.
“We want to give our own defense industry a fighting chance at growing into a robust industry,” said Zubiri on the ratification of the SRDP Act.
“We want to help local producers accelerate their growth and their ability to produce competitively priced, high quality military vessels, equipment, and ammunition—all tailored to our own defense requirements,” also said Zubiri, principal author of the measure in the Senate.
He reiterated that country cannot rely entirely on foreign partners for its defense needs, particularly given the volatile global political situation.
“We have to be able to defend ourselves at all times,” he said.
For his part, Senator Jinggoy Estrada, chairperson of the Senate Committee on National Defense, said the SRDP Act envisions domestic manufacturing and local sourcing of weapons, ammunition, equipment and related defense materiel.
Senators welcome additional incentives that may be proposed by the House panel in hopes of attracting more investors and innovators into the local defense industry.
He emphasized that inputs from the Department of National Defense (DND) in further sharpening the measure, particularly on the intended powers and functions of Office of the Undersecretary for Defense Technology Research and Industry Development (DTRID), and in ensuring adequate funding support for SRDP projects, were also incorporated into the ratified measure.
Estrada sponsored the Bicameral Conference Committee Report on the disagreeing provisions of Senate Bill No. 2455 and House Bill No. 9713 or the Self-Reliant Defense Posture Revitalization bill.
This legislation seeks to give preference to Filipino-owned enterprises engaged in the development, production, manufacturing, assembly, servicing, or operation of materiel in the Philippines.
It represents a revival of the SRDP program which was implemented during the 1970s, and envisioned domestic manufacturing and local sourcing of weapons, ammunition, equipment and related defense materials.
