AFP Modernization Program

The urgency of ensuring the country’s capability to safeguard its territory followed after the non-renewal of the RP-US Bases Agreement in 1991 and the so-called “creeping invasions” of China in the Spratly’s group of Islands in 1995.

In February 23, 1995, Congress enacted Republic Act 7898 or the “AFP Modernization Act” which aimed to modernize the AFP to effectively and fully perform its mandate of protecting the people and the integrity and sovereignity of the state. The law further declared modernization of the AFP capabilities as a state policy and specifically called for a focused external defense capability build-up of the AFP.

To achieve these objectives, the program has five interlocking components namely;

• Force Restructuring and Organizational Development

• Bases and Support System Development

• Doctrines Development

• Human resource Development

• Materiel and Technology Development

In relation to this, Joint Resolution 28 approved the 15-Year AFP Modernization Program and its financial requirements of P331 Billion divided into 2 sub-programs with P164.553 B (Congress Appropriations) and P167.067 B (other sources) respectively of which P50 B will made available for the first five years of the program.

The implementation of the program was affected by several political events and decisions particularly the passage of RA 8551 or the “PNP Reform and Reorganization Act” which transfers the primary responsibility in supressing insurgency and other internal security threats to national security from DILG to DND and the shortfall of funds provided by the government and from other sources with only P 23.1 B and P10 B pesos made available in 2002 and in 2000 respectively.

Consequentially, the implementation of the modernization program failed both in terms of achieving its desired goals vis-a-vis the priorities and capabilities as provided in RA 7898. This is further aggravated with the one fund one concept that governs the Modernization Act trust Fund and the cumbersome procurement policies and procedures of RA 9184.

Thus, to expedite the remaining on-going and funded projects with emphasis on ISO capability build-up and to craft a new modernization program that would address territorial defense capability gaps as a consequence of the expiration of the RA 7898 are recommended.