Israel continues to play a vital role in the modernization of the Philippine military by providing cutting-edge defense technologies, Israeli Ambassador to the Philippines Ilan Fluss said.
In an interview with the Manila Standard, Fluss said Israel affirmed its commitment to cooperate with the Philippines in modernizing its defense capabilities through the supply of air defense systems, modern light tanks, fast patrol boats, drones, and advanced communication technologies.
“We have supplied six patrol boats, with three more to come, and we are eager to continue contributing to the next modernization phase of the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines),” he said, referring to the Horizon 3, which was purchased under the Philippine defense modernization program.
Fluss highlighted Israel’s global leadership in cyber security, noting that the country’s innovations in this sector stemmed from its position as one of the most targeted nations for cyberattacks.
“Israel is number one in the world in cyber security per capita, and our technologies have been developed through constant adaptation to these threats,” he assured.
The partnership goes beyond equipment supply. Fluss mentioned that Israel has also transferred technical “know-how” to the Philippines. He cited as an example the local shipyard that has been constructed to maintain the patrol boats, with Israeli experts training Filipino workers and technicians.
Looking ahead, the Israeli envoy expressed optimism about his country’s future contributions to the Philippines’ defense sector, citing the experience and advanced technological capabilities of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF).
Fluss emphasized that the IDF’s real-time combat use of these technologies brings invaluable knowledge to the partnership. “Our experience is worth gold, and we are happy to share it with the AFP,” he said.
Expansion of PHL-ISR Socioeconomic Ties
Israel is also expanding its cooperation with the Philippines in various sectors, beyond defense and security. In recent months, the Israeli Embassy and its economic mission brought several delegations to the Philippines to discuss collaborations on water management, agriculture, cyber security, and emergency preparedness.
In addition to these key sectors, Israel is also supporting grassroots initiatives aimed at empowering women entrepreneurs in rural areas.
“The Israeli government is financing in helping women in rural areas in their local businesses, as we say, entrepreneurship and development,” Fluss highlighted.
“Women entrepreneurs and we sponsored a program, which will help them produce their own local produce, which is critical because we know that a lot of the development on the community level and grassroots level is about women entrepreneurship,” he added.
Further, the Israeli Embassy is working on creating informal educational centers in the Philippines. These centers aim to foster a more engaging, technology-driven education, which Israel believes is key to fostering innovation and supporting the Philippine economy’s growth.
