The signing into law of Republic Act No. 12024 or the Self-Reliant Defense Posture (SRDP) Revitalization Act by President Marcos Jr. on Tuesday, Oct. 8, will help the country to grow its domestic production and manufacturing of defense assets and hardware, which would further develop the local defense industry.
Department of National Defense (DND) Sec. Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said this as he lauded the Commander-in-Chief for enacting the new law in Malacañan Palace.
“The revitalization of the country's SRDP Program aims to develop and establish an independent and dynamic defense system that relies on the country’s own capabilities and resources to support the weapon and materiel requirements of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and other law enforcement agencies,” Teodoro said in a statement.
With a focus on research and development, the defense chief said that the SRDP Program will prioritize the promotion of innovations and technological breakthroughs in the defense industry and dual-use technologies.
He said the law seeks to build up AFP’s capabilities in multiple domains, both traditional and non-traditional, and which will, ultimately, facilitate the attainment of a credible defense posture and self-reliance.
“By enabling the development of a national defense industry, the law will also harness the potential of local enterprises through collaborative partnerships with Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) from like-minded countries willing to extend their assistance through transfer of technology,” Teodoro noted.
Simply put, the SRDP refers to a program that seeks to enable the country to produce weapons, small arms and ammunition, tactical communications equipment, basic land vehicles, and small sea craft using local materials.
This would decrease the dependency of the DND and AFP to foreign markets and help create a robust local defense sector.
It all points to WPS strategy
Meanwhile, the AFP said that Marcos’ signing of the law “is a very good step in the right direction.”
“We've actually been waiting for this to come into fruition. This actually solidifies our zeal towards having this capability internally,” said AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla.
She said the law complements the Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept (CADC), a new defense strategy crafted and implemented by the DND which seeks to develop the country’s capability to protect and secure the entire Philippine territory and exclusive economic zone (EEZ), including the West Philippine Sea (WPS), and ensure that all the bounties of the natural resources within them will be freely reaped by the Filipinos.
“This aligns with our legal frameworks to enhance the country's readiness in advancing internal and external security threats. This law also supports our long-term economic benefits of a thriving local defense industry, contributing to job creation and technological advancements in the Philippines,” she said.
“By fortifying our self-reliant defense capabilities with this law, the AFP remains steadfast in our commitment to national security, ensuring that the Philippines' ability to defend ourselves with minimal reliance on foreign support,” she added.