AUSTRALIA has announced more than P1.09 billion in fresh maritime assistance for the Philippines, including a P413 million package of advanced drone technology for the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and a P678 million investment to strengthen civil maritime cooperation over the next four years, the Australian Embassy in Manila said on Tuesday.
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong made the announcement in Manila on Tuesday as Australia and the Philippines celebrated 80 years of diplomatic relations and reaffirmed their Strategic Partnership.
“The support will bolster the Philippine Coast Guard’s strategic maritime domain awareness capabilities,” Wong said in a statement.
The P413 million drone support package will significantly boost the PCG’s maritime surveillance and operational capabilities.
The package includes long-range aerial drones, heavy-lift unmanned aircraft, underwater drones, counter-drone technology and specialized operator training, enabling the Coast Guard to better monitor Philippine waters and respond to maritime threats.
The latest assistance raises Australia’s total drone support for the PCG to P578 million since April 2025. Earlier assistance delivered 35 drones along with training for Coast Guard personnel.
Officials said the enhanced drone capability will strengthen the Philippines’ maritime domain awareness, allowing authorities to detect, monitor and respond more effectively to incidents at sea.
Wong also announced Australia would double its bilateral civil maritime assistance, launching a P678 million Civil Maritime Advancement through Partnerships and Support Program that will run for four years.
The expanded initiative will fund operational equipment, maritime training, marine environmental protection, governance reforms, climate resilience projects, postgraduate scholarships and specialized courses on the Law of the Sea.
Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Marc Innes-Brown said the new drone package would benefit not only Philippine maritime agencies but also millions of Filipinos whose livelihoods depend on safe and open seas.
“This P413 million drones package benefits not just the Philippines’ maritime security agencies, but the millions of everyday Filipinos who rely on an open and accessible maritime domain for their livelihoods and commerce,” Innes-Brown, in a statement sent to The Manila Times, said.
He noted that Australian-donated drones are already being used by the Philippine Coast Guard in maritime patrols, search-and-rescue missions and environmental protection operations, proving their value in safeguarding the country’s vast maritime territory.
Innes-Brown said Australia remains committed to helping the Philippines strengthen maritime security and uphold international law, emphasizing that both countries share an interest in preserving a peaceful, stable and rules-based Indo-Pacific.
