House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez Tuesday afternoon (United States time) sought the expansion of joint military exercises in the Philippines, appealed for an increased United States foreign military financing (FMF), and welcomed the Philippines Enhanced Resilience Act of 2024 (PERA Act).
He made the proposals during his engagements with US lawmakers, including senators William Francis Hagerty of Tennessee and Christopher Van Hollen of Maryland, Rep. Gary Palmer of Alabama, and other US officials from April 16-18 to promote national defense and regional security cooperation.
Romualdez underscored the importance of expanded multilateral joint military exercises in the Philippines, not only to improve its defense strategies but also to foster stronger ties with other allies, ensuring peace and stability in the region.
He cited the effectiveness of the Balikatan exercises with the US, and related activities with other regional allies.
“These exercises have shown their significant importance in boosting our tactical and operational prowess. With this program, we can improve stability, security, and peace in the Asia-Pacific region and better safeguard our nation,” Romualdez said in a press release April 17.
Aside from the Speaker, the Philippine delegation included senior deputy speaker Aurelio Gonzales Jr., deputy speaker David Suarez, majority leader Manuel Jose Dalipe, Agusan del Norte Rep. Jose Aquino II, House Secretary General Reginald Velasco, Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez, Ambassador to Japan Mylene Garcia-Albano, and House deputy secretary generals Jennifer Baquiran and Sofonias Gabonada Jr., and other House officials and Philippine embassy officers.
Romualdez has also proposed increasing the US’ FMF to the Philippines from $40 million.
“Given the strength of our alliance, the complexity of our evolving challenges, and our expanding engagements, I hope you will agree that the FMF also needs an increase,” he explained.
He expressed “deep gratitude” to Hagerty, a Republican, and Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia, a Democrat, for introducing in the US Senate the PERA of 2024, a bill that seeks $500 million a year in FMF for the Philippines for 2025 through 2029, or a total of $2.5 billion for five years.
The bipartisan measure was introduced April 10, a day before the trilateral summit in Washington D.C. of US President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
In filing the proposed law, Hagerty said the United States and the Philippines should deepen further cooperation and raise the decades-long alliance to even greater heights.
Kaine said it is essential that the people of the Philippines have the resources and support they need in the face of ongoing challenges in the West Philippine Sea.
The US FMF program provides grants for acquiring US defense equipment, services, and training. It aims to promote US national security interests by contributing to regional and global stability, strengthening military support for democratically-elected governments, and containing transnational threats, including terrorism and trafficking in narcotics, weapons, and persons.
Also discussed was the status of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) between the Philippines and the United States, including the announcement of Marcos of four additional EDCA Agreed Locations, which brought the total to nine all in all.
These are identified portions of the facilities and areas within Fort Magsaysay, Nueva Ecija; Basa Air Base, Pampanga; Antonio Bautista Air Base, Palawan; Mactan-Benito Ebuen Air Base, Cebu; Lumbia Airfield, Cagayan De Oro; Naval Base Camilo Osias, Santa Ana, Cagayan; Camp Melchor Dela Cruz in Gamu, Isabela; the Cagayan North International Airport, Lal-lo, Cagayan; and Balabac Island, Palawan.
Romualdez also discussed reauthorizing the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program with US lawmakers that “will enable us to significantly support two-way trade, as we have in prior years.”
Before the program lapsed, he said the Philippines exported more than $2 billion worth of products tax-free to the US annually, through the GSP, and this tax-free exportation system created jobs and investments in the Philippines. ||
