Philippines Defence Forum

[Malaya]

AFP chief: More soldiers needed
By Alexis Romero (philstar.com) | April 26, 2013

MANILA, Philippines - Armed Forces chief Gen. Emmanuel Bautista said Friday that the number of soldiers should increase to make the military more responsive to challenges posed by a higher population and insurgency.

Bautista noted that military’s strength has not changed even if the country’s population has grown by almost 100 million.

“The ideal is to increase the number of military personnel so we can address [the challenges] and so that we can be more responsive,” the military chief said.

Bautista said the strength of their troops is subject to budgetary constraints.

“But we take it as a challenge,” he said. “We work within (these) constraints.”

The military’s strength stands at about 120,000.

Bautista said the cooperation of civilians can make up for the low number of military personnel.

“If everyone helps, I am sure we will be able to curb violence,” he said.

Observers said the lack of military personnel allows rebels to launch deadly attacks like last Saturday’s ambush of the convoy of Gingoog City Ruthie Guingona.

The attack left two persons dead and three others, including Guingona, injured. Critics said security forces should explain why they do not have presence in the area where the ambush happened.

‘Jurassic concept’

Meanwhile, Bautista called on the communist rebels to surrender, labeling the concept of armed struggle as “Jurassic.”

“It’s about time we get together as a nation to finally put an end to violence, to armed struggle. It will not solve our problems. It’s a Jurassic concept,” he said.

Unity among all sectors, Bautista said, is the key to achieving lasting peace.

Communist rebels, however, are not keen on heeding the military chief’s appeal.

Three soldiers were wounded in an attack staged by insurgents in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro last Thursday.

Col. Generoso Bolina, spokesman of the Armed Forces Southern Luzon Command, said soldiers from the 76th Infantry Battalion had been conducting patrols in the area when they were fired upon by the rebels.

Wounded during the clash were Pfcs. Ariel Juagpao, Merdilito Sagmayao, and Aldrin Jamiro. They were airlifted to the Armed Forces Medical Center in Quezon City for treatment. – Alexis Romero with Bjorn Beltran and Catalina Madarang

AFP chief: More soldiers needed | Headlines, News, The Philippine Star | philstar.com

 

[Fsjal]

One small military we have. The only way to rise the number is to have conscription. Anyway, smaller armies like Australia have better and highly trained soldiers and have better equipments (tanks, planes, frigates, etc.)

 

[Zero_wing]

Well astig ito mga tol hehehe regardless on what the false flagger has said he really does not know anything about the Philippines the Philippine has been modernizing really well am really impress from were we came from and what we have now i mean we slowly showing progress here we manage to take care of the little things like guns and armor and supplies but its still slow but am confident on the current.

 

[Malaya]

Well astig ito mga tol hehehe regardless on what the false flagger has said he really does not know anything about the Philippines the Philippine has been modernizing really well am really impress from were we came from and what we have now i mean we slowly showing progress here we manage to take care of the little things like guns and armor and supplies but its still slow but am confident on the current.

President Aquino has just completed 3 years of his presidency, however for those 3 years he had accomplished plenty. Sana magtuloy tuloy na pagbili ng mga kailangan ng ating militar ng mga modern equipment.

 

[Malaya]

PH growth seen at 7-9 pct in next several years
by Recto Mercene, BusinessMirror
Posted at 04/29/2013 | Updated as of 04/29/2013

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine economy will continue to enjoy a 7-percent to 9-percent growth in the next several years, according to a prominent Filipino economist who, along with Philippine Ambassador to Washington Jose L. Cuisia Jr., spearheaded Manila’s latest efforts to convince more American companies to put their funds in the Philippines.

In providing an overview of the emergence of the Philippines as “Asia’s New Emerging Tiger,” Dr. Bernardo Villegas, co-organizer of the Second Philippine Investment Roadshow that earlier visited Los Angeles and Chicago, forecast in a forum in Boston on Friday that the Philippine economy will grow at an average of 7 percent to 9 percent in the next 20 years.

“The key is to build stronger institutions so that the reforms undertaken over the past 25 years are irreversible, no matter who is heading the administration beyond 2016,” said Villegas, who has been described as the Philippines’s “prophet of boom.”

“The Philippines’s emergence as Asia’s New Tiger is a strong demonstration of a tipping point phenomenon—a result of the transformational leadership changes and the policy reforms introduced in almost 30 years,” he added.

The Second Philippine Investment Roadshow, which was initiated by the Philippine Embassy in Washington, D.C., in coordination with the Philippine Consulates General in Los Angeles, Chicago and New York, concluded last week with major presentations by a top-notch business delegation on strategic investment opportunities in key sectors such as business-process outsourcing (BPO), mining, human resources, infrastructure and real estate, financial services, manufacturing, particularly electronics and medical devices and biotechnology and pharmaceuticals.

In his presentation, Villegas acknowledged the reforms undertaken by each Philippine president, starting with the restoration of democracy under Corazon Aquino and the deregulation, liberalization and privatization of state-owned entities under Fidel Ramos.

He also gave credit to Jospeh Estrada for his emphasis on agriculture that led to the establishment of farm-to-market roads and irrigation systems and to Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for the promotion of tollways. Villegas cited President Aquino’s strong push to build more highways, airports, seaports and schools under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Program.

“But the capping stone is President Aquino’s strong commitment to good governance and the fight against corruption, which has restored the confidence and optimism of both international and local investors,” according to Villegas.

In his remarks, Cuisia said he “strongly encourages American companies to invest more in the Philippines,” also citing such competitive advantages as the country’s strategic location, highly educated bilingual and talented work force and its democratic system, a business-friendly environment and attractive tax incentives for key projects.

“In addition, the Philippines is part of the larger Asean market, which promises a large consumer base of 600 million that also has a strong purchasing power,” he added.

Cuisia reiterated Mr. Aquino’s “personal message of deep sympathy, concern and solidarity with the people of Boston.”

“We are optimistic that Boston will move past the tragedy and continue to be the world’s most innovative city, a cutting-edge research center, and an incubator of ideas,” the ambassador said, referring to the Boston Marathon bombings earlier this month.

Other resource persons in the forum were ZMG Ward Howell Chairman Jesus Zulueta Jr., who mentioned the Filipinos’ education, adaptability, multicultural exposure and English-language fluency that should prove attractive to possible inventors.

Zulueta said health-care information management outsourcing is the fastest-growing BPO sector in the Philippines today with revenues growing from $102 million in 2010 to $430 million in 2012.

Rainerio Borja, president of Expert Global Solutions, said the Philippine BPO sector will be a $25-billion industry by 2016 and will directly employ 1.6 million Filipinos, and account for 7.8 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). Borja added that the Philippines is a top offshore BPO location because of its scalable educated talent pool, cost competitiveness, excellent infrastructure, government support and PPP, and proven track record.

Dr. Dan Lachica, president of Semiconductors and Electronics Industries in the Philippines Inc. (SEIPI), said the electronics industry is the “driver of the Philippine economy” that makes up 55 percent of total Philippine exports and directly employs 258,000 operators, technicians and engineers.

According to Philip Romualdez, president of the Chamber of Mines of the Philippines, the strategic importance of the mining industry to the country, which not only boasts of having the fifth-richest mineral deposits in the world but also accounts for “2-percent additional GDP growth in the next several years.”

On infrastructure and real estate, Isidro Consunji, president of DMCI Holdings Inc., said growth in both the revenues and net income of listed real-estate companies in the country has consistently been in an upward trend since 2008.

The Philippines’s $13-billion pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry was discussed by Martin Pascual, board director of Pascual Laboratories, who said continued improvements in the country’s intellectual-property rights regime will bolster growth prospects of the industry.

“A framework should be developed to address investors’ concerns on transparency and accountability and that both the government and the private sector should continue to collaborate to really accelerate research and development in the Philippines,” he said.

Back home, optimism was also high.

The economic performance of the Philippines may be better in the second quarter as indicated by composite leading economic indicators (LEI) released recently by the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB).

The LEI slightly inched up in the second quarter (Q2) of 2013, posting -0.013, from the revised -0.075 in the first quarter of 2013.

“The composite index regained in Q2 of 2013 after four consecutive quarters of decline, but remained in the negative territory in the last three quarters,” NSCB Secretary-General Jose Ramon Albert said in a report.

PH growth seen at 7-9 pct in next several years | ABS-CBN News

 

[Fsjal]

Well astig ito mga tol hehehe regardless on what the false flagger has said he really does not know anything about the Philippines the Philippine has been modernizing really well am really impress from were we came from and what we have now i mean we slowly showing progress here we manage to take care of the little things like guns and armor and supplies but its still slow but am confident on the current.

The AFP modernisation is dissapointing, not really impressed by it. It would be impressive if we actually acquire more hi tech weapons than by talking about it.

President Aquino has just completed 3 years of his presidency, however for those 3 years he had accomplished plenty. Sana magtuloy tuloy na pagbili ng mga kailangan ng ating militar ng mga modern equipment.

Even for 3 years, he could do better.

 

[Zero_wing]

The AFP modernisation is dissapointing, not really impressed by it. It would be impressive if we actually acquire more hi tech weapons than by talking about it.



Even for 3 years, he could do better.

Modernization is spelled with a z sir and we are still finishing phase 1 (basic stuff and fixing bases, buying new and fixing old radars start buying ships (corvettes and offshore patrol ships etc) we not phase two yet were going to buy SAMs, and more ships and planes and new stuff etc. So what's your problem well you are chinese after all.

 

[Fsjal]

Modernization is spelled with a z sir and we are still finishing phase 1 (basic stuff and fixing bases, buying new and fixing old radars start buying ships (corvettes and offshore patrol ships etc) we not phase two yet were going to buy SAMs, and more ships and planes and new stuff etc. So what's your problem well you are chinese after all.

In Australia, we use Z, and also, training is another thing. Soldiers need to be properly trained.

 

[Zero_wing]

In Australia, we use Z, and also, training is another thing. Soldiers need to be properly trained.

Well spell it right and again i doubt it sir and as for training in terms of military training the Philippine is one of the most battled tested militarizes but its the equipment is the major problem so older than the man using them but now that phase 1 is about to end we can fill the gap with some basic equipments. before your troll about the Philippine military do some research or better go to the philippines every Independence day June 12 and see for yourselves what you chinese are up against.

 

[Fsjal]

Well spell it right and again i doubt it sir and as for training in terms of military training the Philippine is one of the most battled tested militarizes but its the equipment is the major problem so older than the man using them but now that phase 1 is about to end we can fill the gap with some basic equipments. before your troll about the Philippine military do some research or better go to the philippines every Independence day June 12 and see for yourselves what you chinese are up against.

If our soldiers are so trained, how come the MNLF and Abu Sayyaf are still active. Even the NPA are active.

 

[Zero_wing]

If our soldiers are so trained, how come the MNLF and Abu Sayyaf are still active. Even the NPA are active.

Sir study military strategy especially guerrilla warfare besides the MNLF is like part of the government in majority of them are public officials in local government i think your talking about MILF which also now accepting government integration with a few exception the so called BIFF (bangsamoro islamic freedom fighters) but they can only attack civilian targets, police station and power station adding to problem but they been ostracize by everybody since they getting on the way of peace which everybody wants in Mindanao so they just die out soon and about the abus same as the BIFF they being hunted down by everybody they just common bandits now everybody hates them the NPA are in similar boat as the abus people hate they just steal and kill people at random. aka they are losing support from the people and they are in their last legs

Again troll do some studying not just mao books they just nonsense

 

[Fsjal]

Sir study military strategy especially guerrilla warfare

Sir, study anti guerilla warfare and anti terrorism.

 

[Zero_wing]

Sir, study anti guerilla warfare and anti terrorism.

Sir guerrilla warfare see can't even spell it right let alone understand the concepts in warfare

typical chi#ko troll

 

[p3avi8tor69]

If our soldiers are so trained, how come the MNLF and Abu Sayyaf are still active. Even the NPA are active.

In defence of the Pinoys, even my country, the only remaining superpower, is having a pita ridding Afghanistan of the Taliban despite our superior military might. Insurgency is a b**ch.

 

[Fsjal]

In defence of the Pinoys, even my country, the only remaining superpower, is having a pita ridding Afghanistan of the Taliban despite our superior military might. Insurgency is a b**ch.

The thing is, the Taliban know their area. In the Philippines, the Military knows the area, and they should have easier finding the rebels compare to Americans looking for the Taliban, because the American soldiers are not local to the area in Afghanistan.