The United States is already working on granting the Philippines $100 million to finance the country's military modernization program.
US Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson said the US State Department already notified the Congress its intent to make available a substantial grant "in foreign military financing (FMF) to be used for defense modernization according to the needs of the" Philippine Department National Defense (DND).
That was "in conjunction with the ongoing consultation that we have already discussed throughout the year between our two militaries," Carlson told reporters on Monday at her residence in Makati City.
The grant offer for financing military equipment modernization came after the Philippines scrapped its deal to purchase military choppers from Russia, which was also part of the country's military modernization efforts, in consideration of the United States' position.
The amount, according to Carlson, could be used by the DND to "offset" future military helicopter purchase, among others.
"But we would not dictate the modernization efforts within the Department of National Defense," Carlson added.
With more military cooperation expected under the new administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Carlson hoped for a safe waters as well as safe overflight in the South China Sea, "so that the economic recovery is not constrained and so that our people can live in safety in security."
"So, in terms of joint patrols, whatever we can do, military to military, or people to people, that ensure that we secure our territorial integrity and that we make our water safe is what we're going to do," she said.
"So we're looking at various types of joint of cooperative maritime activities that we can go together," she added.