President Marcos said that the Philippines continues to build its defense capabilities while strengthening alliances with other countries as he noted the "unfortunate truth" that nations must "work for peace, prepare for war."

Marcos said this amid growing tensions in the South China Sea and following China's order to detain those entering the area that would violate its entry-exit policy.

In his speech at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, the President said the Philippines will continue upholding the rule of law.

"As we work to uphold the rule of law in international affairs, so shall we build our capabilities to protect our interest in our own maritime domain and in the global commons," he said.

He noted that under the Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept, the Philippines shall develop its capacity to project its forces into areas “where we must, by constitutional duty and by legal right, protect our interests and preserve our patrimony.”

“And as we build our defense capabilities, so shall we continue to invest in diplomacy,” he said.

During the question-and-answer portion of the event, Marcos explained further how the Philippine government is boosting its defense capabilities.

"We are presently in the process of finding suppliers for all the different requirements that we have to build up our capabilities in the Armed Forces of the Philippines," he said.

"I say to work for peace, prepare for war and there is... It is an unfortunate truth but... And that is why we have undertaken this long-term — it has been going on for many years now — this long-term plan of increasing the capabilities of our military and civilians such as the Coast Guard in the Philippines," he added.

Meanwhile, President Marcos said the Philippines’ commitment to ASEAN Centrality shall remain a core element of its foreign policy.

He said the Philippines will strengthen its alliance with the United States and strategic partnerships with Australia, Japan, and Vietnam. He added that the country would also pursue more robust collaboration with friends such as the Republic of Korea and India, among others.

According to Marcos, collaborative endeavors among a few states share specific interests that “build into pillars that support the architecture of regional stability.”

“It is in this spirit that we pursue trilateral collaboration with Indonesia and Malaysia in the Celebes Sea. It is the same rationale behind our broader cooperation with Australia, Japan, and the United States in our exclusive economic zone,” he said.