SENATE President Sherwin Gatchalian said he was pushing for legislative support to boost the 2027 funding of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
Speaking at a Senate Committee on Finance hearing on the proposed P324.632-billion budget for the Department of National Defense and its attached agencies, Gatchalian underscored the urgency of fortifying the country’s multi-domain defense mechanisms.
”Our geopolitical situation — both in the region and globally — is changing very rapidly. We see various conflicts unfolding in the Middle East and Eastern Europe. Given this, it is crucial to remain prepared and to continue modernizing and strengthening our armed forces, including their capabilities in cyber warfare,” he said.
While the Department of Budget and Management raised the AFP Modernization Program fund to P50 billion for 2027 (up from P40 billion in 2026), defense officials said a P20-billion funding gap must be addressed to fully support long-term military infrastructure and existing multiyear procurement contracts under Horizon 2 and 3. Gatchalian identified cyber defense as a critical sector requiring aggressive funding, calling digital warfare an active reality in modern tactical defense strategy.
Beyond external and electronic defense, funding is heavily targeted toward the AFP’s search and rescue operational readiness. During acute environmental crises, the military operates as a core humanitarian unit. Reflecting this dual mandate, the AFP currently maintains an active inventory of 3,312 land assets, 120 sea assets and 40 air assets ready for deployment nationwide during natural disasters.
”Our armed forces do not merely serve as defenders; they also respond to calamities that strike our country, such as powerful typhoons and other types of disasters we experience,” Gatchalian said.
