Philippines Defence Forum

[Cossack25A1]

I'm not really pro-Aquino. I actually do not support him in some areas.
_______________________

Funding for Cebu Bus Rapid Transit system approved
The BRT, which is set to roll out this year, will be funded through loans from various international agencies

Published Aug 27, 2014

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has approved the funding strategy for the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project.

Of the total project cost of P10.62 billion ($244.78 million*), P9.48 billion ($218.48 million) will be funded by borrowings and the remaining P1.14 billion ($34.11 million), which will be used to acquire vehicles for the BRT, will be financed by the private sector.

The P9.48 billion will come from loans from Agence Française de Développement, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and the Clean Technology Fund.

DBM Secretary Florencio "Butch" Abad said the borrowings would be sourced through a Forward Obligational Authority, a process needed for government to be spared from servicing unnecessary commitment fees.

The Cebu BRT is one of the current administration's priority projects, as mentioned by President Benigno Aquino III in his 5th State of the Nation Address.

Set to roll out this year, the 23-kilometer Cebu BRT will have 33 stations and 176 environment-friendly buses. It is meant to enhance urban mobility in the country's second biggest metropolis.

"The new bus transit …will provide a safer, more efficient, and environment-friendly mode of travel in and around Cebu City," Abad said, adding that the project would be completed by 2018.

Earlier, Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya said the BRT system aims to improve commuter experience and upgrade the country's transportation system in light of worsening traffic congestion.

The BRT system was popularized in Bogota, Colombia in 2000 through the efforts of its mayor at the time – Enrique Peñalosa. The system was widely recognized for helping reduce air pollution, average travel time, and road accidents in Bogota.

In a message, Peñalosa said the BRT system would be of tremendous benefit to Cebuanos.

“The Cebu BRT will do many things: it will help Cebu’s mobility and save transportation time to tens of thousands of Cebuanos, which they will better spend with family and friends; it will help Cebu’s urban structure; it will be a symbol of democracy, as public transport users move faster than those in private cars; it will strengthen Cebuanos’ confidence in their capacity to create their destiny,” Peñalosa said.

Funding for Cebu Bus Rapid Transit system approved

It is time to de-congest Manila and should look at Cebu and Davao as potential expansion for business. Manila is now too small that it can no longer accommodate any further expansion that the current situation here would worsen if such expansion was further pushed whereas Cebu and Davao are ripe for further expansion of businesses.

 

[Aepsilons]

I'm not really pro-Aquino. I actually do not support him in some areas. But I must admit that there is more change today than it had been in the past though there still so many issues that he needs to address. I just hope our politicians both administration and opposition can work together hand-in-hand to serve the people well instead of bickering in public.

_______________________

Funding for Cebu Bus Rapid Transit system approved
The BRT, which is set to roll out this year, will be funded through loans from various international agencies

Published Aug 27, 2014

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has approved the funding strategy for the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project.

Of the total project cost of P10.62 billion ($244.78 million*), P9.48 billion ($218.48 million) will be funded by borrowings and the remaining P1.14 billion ($34.11 million), which will be used to acquire vehicles for the BRT, will be financed by the private sector.

The P9.48 billion will come from loans from Agence Française de Développement, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and the Clean Technology Fund.

DBM Secretary Florencio "Butch" Abad said the borrowings would be sourced through a Forward Obligational Authority, a process needed for government to be spared from servicing unnecessary commitment fees.

The Cebu BRT is one of the current administration's priority projects, as mentioned by President Benigno Aquino III in his 5th State of the Nation Address.

Set to roll out this year, the 23-kilometer Cebu BRT will have 33 stations and 176 environment-friendly buses. It is meant to enhance urban mobility in the country's second biggest metropolis.

"The new bus transit …will provide a safer, more efficient, and environment-friendly mode of travel in and around Cebu City," Abad said, adding that the project would be completed by 2018.

Earlier, Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya said the BRT system aims to improve commuter experience and upgrade the country's transportation system in light of worsening traffic congestion.

The BRT system was popularized in Bogota, Colombia in 2000 through the efforts of its mayor at the time – Enrique Peñalosa. The system was widely recognized for helping reduce air pollution, average travel time, and road accidents in Bogota.

In a message, Peñalosa said the BRT system would be of tremendous benefit to Cebuanos.

“The Cebu BRT will do many things: it will help Cebu’s mobility and save transportation time to tens of thousands of Cebuanos, which they will better spend with family and friends; it will help Cebu’s urban structure; it will be a symbol of democracy, as public transport users move faster than those in private cars; it will strengthen Cebuanos’ confidence in their capacity to create their destiny,” Peñalosa said.

Funding for Cebu Bus Rapid Transit system approved

Excellent news. Thanks for the link, too. This will make a great many Japanese businessmen operating in the Visayas very happy. Thanks !

 

[Cossack25A1]

Palparan asks for military detention

------

Palparan asks for military detention
Published 11:50 AM, Sep 01, 2014/ Updated 12:38 PM, Sep 01, 201

Palparan's motion asks the court to transfer him either to the Philippine Army Custodial Center (PACC) in Fort Bonifacio or at the detention center of the Intelligence Agency of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) in Camp Aguinaldo.

MANILA, Philippines – After being denied his motion to be detained at the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) headquarters instead of the Bulacan Provincial Jail, retired Major General Jovito Palparan is now filing a motion to be detained instead by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

The motion, for filing Monday, September 1, asks the court to transfer Palparan either to the Philippine Army Custodial Center (PACC) in Fort Bonifacio or at the detention center of the Intelligence Agency of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) in Camp Aguinaldo.

Two of the four accused in the case, Lt. Col. Felipe Anotado and S/Sgt Edgar Osorio, both Army personnel, are detained at the custodial center.

The prosecution earlier maintained that Palparan's status as a retired general bans him from being allowed into the AFP's custody.

Palparan, along with 3 others, is charged with the 2006 kidnapping and serious illegal detention of University of the Philippines (UP) students Karen Empeno and Sherlyn Cadapan. Witnesses claim the young women were tortured, raped and held under the orders of the former partylist representative.

He was apprehended on August 12, 2014, after nearly 3 years in hiding.

According to Palparan's counsel Eduardo Millares, the AFP's Judge Advocate General's Office has expressed willingness to handle Palparan's detention.

Malolos Regional Trial Court Branch 14 Judge Teodora Gonzales asked the defense to file the motion within the day for comment from the prosecution counsel as well as the proposed institutions for detention.

The National Union of People's Lawyers (NUPL) labeled the move as "detention-shopping."

"Palparan detention-shopping as if going on holiday. The audacity to make flippant choices betrays the desire to come home to a conniving AFP," the group said on Twitter.

'Free Palparan'

About two dozen officers in the blue uniforms of the Philippine National Police (PNP) stood guard before the steps of the Regional Trial Court. Several others were stationed at the second floor outside branch 14.

A dozen jail guards also appeared with the retired general, 8 of them inside the courtroom, blocking Palparan from the view of the rest of the court. The NBI also had their representatives armed with a variety of automatic weapons.

Palparan had earlier claimed that detention at the Bulacan Provincial Jail would put his life in jeopardy.

Between 2005 and 2006, under the Arroyo administration, Palparan served as commanding general of the military's 7th infantry division, which commanded troops in central Luzon, including Bulacan, once the hotbed of communist insurgency.

Under the Arroyo government, it was the subject of a massive campaign by the Philippine military to weed out the mass supporters of the rebel New People's Army (NPA).

Activists with megaphones led protests outside the trial court during the hearing. To one side were the families of Palparan's alleged victims as well as members of progressive groups carrying posters with the faces of the dead and missing. Opposite them were a group of at least thirty Palparan supporters, many of them widows of soldiers killed in alleged NPA ambushes.

Both sides attempted to outshout the other. "Butcher Palparan," screamed one side. "Free Palparan," shouted the other. It is a change from Palparan's previous hearing, when Palparan's supporters were content to stand quietly.

Myra Ochave, the 60-year-old widow of soldier Richard Ochave, says her husband was killed in the Mountain Province by the NPA in an ambush against the 24th Infantry Battalion.

"It is not true (that the two women were kidnapped). All the left wants to do is to jail all the generals so they can be free to do what they want," said Ochave in Filipino.

She said that Richard's death in 1991 has never been brought to justice. A pension of PHP 7,000 (159 USD) is not enough to compensate for her husband's lost.

The retired general will appear again in court next Monday, September 8. - Rappler.com

 

[Bienvenido]

Shipbuilder Herma Group wants to build vessels for PHL military
August 28, 2014

(Herminio Esguerra, Herma Group president and CEO.)

Shipbuilder Herma Group of Companies is pitching its ship building expertise to the government as part of a strategy to diversify from barges and oil tankers, company officials said.

The group is looking at military designed vessels, Herma Group vice chairman Peter Favila said in an interview with reporters on the sidelines of an oil tanker launching ceremony in Makati City late Wednesday.

"We're looking at how we can diversify and mainly that's what we're looking at," he said.

"The message is we have the capabilities to build such. We're not talking of aircraft carriers, we're talking of patrol boats," Favila said. "Kasi bumibili tayo ng segunda mano... Maybe we can build new ones using Filipino ingenuity."

Herma Group launched and turned over its 16th vessel – M/Tkr Matapat – from Herma Shipyard Inc. to Herma Shipping and Transport Corporation, a company that provides petroleum transport services to the oil industry.

Herma Shipyard builds international standard tankers while Herma Shipping and Transport provides marine services in the Philippines.

The M/Tkr Matapat, an oil tanker built by the Herma Group for a subsidiary servicing the domestic oil transport industry. Herma Group

Ships for the military

In his speech, Herma Group president and CEO Herminio Esguerra said the latest tanker and the number of vessels made shows the capability of the company to build ships for the Philippine Navy or the Philippine Coast Guard.

"All the ships that the government needs, we can build. [We're] confident because we have done it, as seen in the shipyard all over the world," he said. "But we need support from the government," he added.

Building ships for military use would entail consultations with the government, Favila said. For the moment, there are no talks, he noted.

The group also sees big opportunity in cargo shipping once the ASEAN economic integration is in place starting next year, Favila said.

"Within ASEAN, when we start opening borders, bringing down barriers, we'll be moving goods more extensively," he said.

"If you have your own vessels, you can service the needs of other countries as well," he added.

By 2015, the ASEAN Economic Community sets in motion the creation of a single market and production base for the 10-nation bloc with a free flow of goods, services, skilled labor, investments and capital.

ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam

Shipbuilder Herma Group wants to build vessels for PHL military | Economy | GMA News Online

__________________________

Japan, Philippines to Combat China’s Assertive Stance at Sea
Simone Orendain
September 03, 2014

Philippine Congressman Rodolfo Biazon, left, Chair of the House Committee on National Defense, and Hiroshi Nakada, Head of delegation of the Japanese opposition Party for Future Generations, shake hands shortly after signing a non-binding documents to real

MANILA—
Japanese and Philippine lawmakers in Manila signed an informal agreement Wednesday to form an international body promoting peaceful means to settle disputes in waters where they have competing claims with China.

Members of the two congressional delegations have agreed to push for a “Parliamentarians’ League for Maritime Security in Asia” within their respective legislative bodies. They stress settling territorial disputes and clarifying claims based on international law.

Japan's Representative Hiroshi Nakada led six of his fellow-party members in a visit to the Philippines. Through an interpreter, he reiterated their pitch for avoiding “force or coercion” in staking claims and not doing anything unilaterally that would upset the status quo.

“All of these items are things that nobody in our world, nobody in humanity would likely go against. These are things that we all adhere to as human beings,” Nakada said.

Japan and China have a long-running squabble over a group of rocks called Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China in the East China Sea. Tensions between the two countries have steadily intensified in recent years after the Japanese government bought part of the grouping from a private owner. Chinese government ships have been active in the surrounding waters ever since. In November last year, China declared the area above the islands an air defense identification zone, compelling all craft to follow Beijing’s rules when flying there.

The United States military does not recognize the zone and Japan ignores it.

China has sweeping claims in the South China Sea, stating it has “indisputable sovereignty” over more than 80 percent of those resource-rich waters. The Philippines accuses China of encroaching on formations it says are clearly within its exclusive economic zone. In 2012 China all but took control of Scarborough Shoal, keeping Philippine fishermen out.

In recent months, Philippines surveillance photos have shown Chinese reclamation activity on at least four reefs and shoals that the Philippines claims.

Manila filed a case last year with the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague questioning Beijing’s claim to nearly all of the sea. Beijing rejects arbitration and has not responded to the case.

Thirteen members of the Philippine House and the six representatives from Japan signed on to the campaign for the multinational league, but they are all acting individually, not in their capacities as congressmen.

“I emphasize that we need to do this campaign to raise the awareness of nations that there must be a resolution to the dispute and this resolution must be in accordance with the provisions of international law,” said Philippine Congressman Rodolfo Biazon, who heads the House Committee on National Defense and Security.

Apart from the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam also have competing claims in the South China Sea. In 2002, the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations and China signed a non-binding agreement to keep things peaceful in the sea. But China, which prefers one-on-one meetings to sort out claims, has been slow to act. It only recently called for implementing the terms of the non-binding agreement. Work on a legally binding code of conduct on managing competing claims has been slow-going.

The lawmakers say they hope to get the parliaments of other countries to sign on to the body. Hiroshi says the Japanese delegation is looking at Vietnam as another potential signatory to its campaign.

Japan, Philippines to Combat China’s Assertive Stance at Sea

 

[Cossack25A1]

Shipbuilder Herma Group wants to build vessels for PHL military
August 28, 2014

(Herminio Esguerra, Herma Group president and CEO.)

Shipbuilder Herma Group of Companies is pitching its ship building expertise to the government as part of a strategy to diversify from barges and oil tankers, company officials said.

The group is looking at military designed vessels, Herma Group vice chairman Peter Favila said in an interview with reporters on the sidelines of an oil tanker launching ceremony in Makati City late Wednesday.

"We're looking at how we can diversify and mainly that's what we're looking at," he said.

"The message is we have the capabilities to build such. We're not talking of aircraft carriers, we're talking of patrol boats," Favila said. "Kasi bumibili tayo ng segunda mano... Maybe we can build new ones using Filipino ingenuity."

Herma Group launched and turned over its 16th vessel – M/Tkr Matapat – from Herma Shipyard Inc. to Herma Shipping and Transport Corporation, a company that provides petroleum transport services to the oil industry.

Herma Shipyard builds international standard tankers while Herma Shipping and Transport provides marine services in the Philippines.

The M/Tkr Matapat, an oil tanker built by the Herma Group for a subsidiary servicing the domestic oil transport industry. Herma Group

Ships for the military

In his speech, Herma Group president and CEO Herminio Esguerra said the latest tanker and the number of vessels made shows the capability of the company to build ships for the Philippine Navy or the Philippine Coast Guard.

"All the ships that the government needs, we can build. [We're] confident because we have done it, as seen in the shipyard all over the world," he said. "But we need support from the government," he added.

Building ships for military use would entail consultations with the government, Favila said. For the moment, there are no talks, he noted.

The group also sees big opportunity in cargo shipping once the ASEAN economic integration is in place starting next year, Favila said.

"Within ASEAN, when we start opening borders, bringing down barriers, we'll be moving goods more extensively," he said.

"If you have your own vessels, you can service the needs of other countries as well," he added.

By 2015, the ASEAN Economic Community sets in motion the creation of a single market and production base for the 10-nation bloc with a free flow of goods, services, skilled labor, investments and capital.

ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam

Shipbuilder Herma Group wants to build vessels for PHL military | Economy | GMA News Online

We could also ask help from other countries that has experience in building their own warship for our own warship, particularly in weapon systems, defense systems and radar system.

 

[Bienvenido]

I also hope this present administration will have the guts to change some economic provisions in our Constitution.

------------------

Philippines found among most restrictive
September 04, 2014

THE PHILIPPINES has the most restrictive environment for foreign investments in Southeast Asia, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) said in a recent report, warning this could prevent the country from enjoying an expected surge of new money from investors now taking a closer look at the region.

In a report, titled: Southeast Asia Investment Policy Perspectives that was published last June, the 34-country group -- whose members include France, Germany, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States -- also cited its own FDI (foreign direct investment) Regulatory Restrictiveness Index showing the Philippines as the most restrictive among 64 developed and developing countries. The index measures restrictiveness of FDI rules across 22 sectors, including agriculture, mining, electricity, manufacturing, as well as “main services” like transport, construction, distribution, communications, real estate, financial and professional services.

The report noted that Southeast Asia’s FDI prospects have improved in the last two decades due to the relatively strong economic growth of the region’s economies.

“Partly in response to these growth prospects and the rising middle class in one of the world’s most dynamic markets, direct investment in ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) -- both from outside and within the region -- is likely to be at record levels for many countries over the next few years,” the report read.

“Southeast Asia was the only region to see rising inflows of foreign direct investments in 2012, while global flows fell 6%.”

However, benefits from such favorable scenario will not be equally distributed in ASEAN due to restrictions imposed by member states, OECD said.

In Southeast Asia, the Philippines and Myanmar were tagged as having the most restrictions for FDIs.

“In the Philippines, many restrictions on foreign equity and land ownership remain,” the report noted.

“The 1987 Constitution has a clause that supports laws restricting foreign ownership of property to 40%, with minor adjustments by subsequent laws. Further reforms in foreign access to local land require constitutional amendments,” the report noted.

Moreover, OECD cited the country’s restrictions on foreign ownership of banks, retail enterprises, telecommunications, and transport companies.

It should be noted, however, that the report was published prior to the enactment of the Republic Act No. 10641, or “An Act Allowing the Full Entry of Foreign Banks in the Philippines”, by President Benigno S.C. Aquino III last July.

‘LESS APPEAL’

Singapore was deemed the most open to FDI in the region, with OECD noting that the city-state is “often the first choice as a location by a wide margin.”

From the perspective of OECD investors, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia come next to Singapore, while the Philippines and Vietnam have “less appeal to OECD investors.”

Meanwhile, Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar are likely to be export-oriented in the medium term given their vast wealth of mineral and waters resources and a pool of relatively cheap labor, the OECD noted.

The findings of the report jibe with the results of the latest Global Competitiveness Report of the World Economic Forum, which evaluated 144 economies based on 12 “pillars of competitiveness” that drive productivity.

Singapore led the region in terms of business impact of rules on FDI -- one of the indicators used by the Forum to rank the economies surveyed -- followed by Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines and Myanmar.

Sought for comment, Guillermo M. Luz, National Competitiveness Council private sector co-chairman, said: “Yes, we have a lot of foreign ownership restrictions which are very challenging for the business community.”

“However, we have to be very careful in pursuing economic amendments to the Constitution,” Mr. Luz warned in a text message.

“The current proposal will toss everything to Congress and that will put the entire burden on legislators. With all the bills they have to pass -- which are equally important -- then the amendments might take a long time to get passed.”

Asked if the OECD report bolsters the case for amending foreign ownership restrictions of the Constitution, House SpeakerFeliciano R. Belmonte, Jr. replied via text: “Definitely.”

Mr. Belmonte had filed the Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) No. 1 at the start of the 16th Congress in July last year which seeks to add the phrase “unless otherwise provided by law” to provisions of the current Constitution that impose restrictions to foreign ownership and business participation, particularly for land, public utilities, natural resources, as well as media and advertising.

Mr. Belmonte has said that lifting such restrictions was critical to achieving the government’s goal of inclusive growth, since more FDIs are expected to result in additional quality jobs that, in turn, will lift more Filipinos out of poverty.

Plenary debates on RBH No. 1 are ongoing at the House of Representatives.

CONTROVERSIAL

Charter change has been proposed as early as the 1990s, but these efforts never prospered over fears that public officials would use it as an opportunity to extend their terms of office.

To allay fears that the current move to amend the Constitution could be used to extend the term of incumbent elected officials, Mr. Belmonte led the signing of a pledge at the House that committed legislators to introduce changes only for the charter’s economic provisions.

Latest data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) showed that net FDI inflows as of May amounted to $2.923 billion, 34% higher than the $2.182 billion registered in the same five months last year.

In May alone, net inflows reached $473 million, a turnaround from the $62-million net outflow recorded in the same month last year, BSP data showed further.

The increase, the central bank said, reflected “investors’ confidence in the country’s sound macroeconomic fundamentals.”

FDI net inflows reached $3.86 billion last year, 20% more than the $3.215 billion recorded in 2012 and breaching the central bank’s full-year forecast of $2.1 billion.

For this year, the central bank expects net FDI inflows to reach $1 billion, down from the initial estimate of $2.6 billion -- a drop the central bank said would be due to continued global financial market uncertainties.

BusinessWorld | Philippines found among most restrictive

 

[Bienvenido]

Philippine general seeks arms upgrade as China expands
September 4,2014

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine military chief Gregorio Pio Catapang likens his task to a boxing match. Dwarfed by neighbors like China, with whom ties are strained, he'd like his forces to last at least a few rounds in the ring.

"Even if we are a bantam-weight fighting against a heavy weight, we are going to defend our sovereignty and national interest," General Catapang, 55, said in an interview Wednesday in his office in Manila. "We renounce war as a national foreign policy, but we will have to stand and show the world we are a principled country."

Sitting in his office surrounded by history, philosophy and psychology books, Catapang, who has been in the job since July, sets out his priorities for an army that for years was occupied by an insurgency in the south. With China building artificial islands in the resource-rich South China Sea and boosting its naval presence to support its territorial claims, the focus for the Philippine military is turning outward.

Catapang is looking to boost defenses in Ulugan Bay on the island of Palawan, the Philippine military post about 160 kilometers (99 miles) from the disputed Spratly archipelago. He's also seeking lawmakers' approval for about $10 billion to buy fighter jets and warships to achieve a "world-class armed forces" by 2028. China's defense budget this year is around 47 times that of the Philippines' 123 billion pesos ($2.8 billion) -- 1 percent of gross domestic product.

The Spratlys are a collection of more than 100 islands or reefs that dot the waters of the southern South China Sea, and have been at the center of sparring for decades, claimed in part by Taiwan, Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines and China.

China is carrying out construction on some islands and shoals claimed by the Philippines and plans to erect five lighthouses there. The Philippines has sought international arbitration over its disputes with China, a process that country refuses to join.

China is "projecting the image that they own the South China Sea, but it's still under litigation," Catapang said, adding he doesn't view conflict with China as inevitable. "While it is being arbitrated, we want to show that we really own those islands. That's why we're putting the marines, the navy, the army in the islands that we possess."

Under the first phase of the modernization plan which lasts until 2017, the Philippines, a U.S. treaty ally, will buy three frigates to take its stock to six, Catapang, who is responsible for 120,000 servicemen and women, said. The military plans to increase its squadrons to three from one and install a nationwide early warning radar system and air defense artillery, he said.

"The modernization program is primarily focused on upgrading military capabilities, equipment and infrastructure," Budget Secretary Butch Abad said in e-mailed comments. "It's especially critical now, as the country faces threats to its security."

As other countries focus on projecting power outward, building longer-range naval and air capacity, the Philippines too wants to be part of a "bigger community," Catapang said.

"Twenty-first century wars will all be global," he said. "Global terrorism, global climate change, global warming, global maritime concern, global transnational crime, and hopefully not, global proliferation of weapons of mass destruction like nuclear war. Those are what we're preparing for."

President Xi Jinping has sought to extend China's reach since coming to power in November 2012, and the navy is modernizing and expanding its nuclear submarine base at Yalong Bay on Hainan Island, its gateway to the South China Sea. The Communist Party leadership has for the first time stated a national goal of making China a maritime power, with a more combat-ready military to bolster its territorial claims.

On Wednesday, Catapang traveled to Fort Magsaysay in the northern province of Nueva Ecija to distribute new 5.56 millimeter M4 assault rifles to soldiers, as the military acquires 50,629 of the weapons. Eight combat utility helicopters and eight long-range patrol jets will arrive this year, President Benigno Aquino said in July, while two of 12 FA-50 jets from South Korea will be delivered in 2015.

Equipment acquired from 2010 to 2014 included combat utility helicopters, troop carrier trucks and watercraft, according to the budget department.

The Philippines has replenished supplies to the Ayungin Shoal, where it scuttled a naval boat in 1999 to serve as an outpost, Catapang said, after China in March warned two Philippine boats near the disputed reef. In Ulugan Bay, the military needs about 4 billion pesos to develop a base, build a runway and expand its 1,000 strong-troops, Catapang said.

The modernization of the military also depends on the strength of the economy and gains in tax revenue, according to the general, who studied at the Australian Defence College. Aquino has overseen a revival of the economy with growth exceeding 7 percent in 2013 and tax revenue rising to a record.

"The progress of the nation is very crucial or else it will be a gun versus basic food, services issue," Catapang said.

Philippine general seeks arms upgrade as China expands - Chicago Tribune

 

[Cossack25A1]

Philippine general seeks arms upgrade as China expands
September 4,2014

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine military chief Gregorio Pio Catapang likens his task to a boxing match. Dwarfed by neighbors like China, with whom ties are strained, he'd like his forces to last at least a few rounds in the ring.

"Even if we are a bantam-weight fighting against a heavy weight, we are going to defend our sovereignty and national interest," General Catapang, 55, said in an interview Wednesday in his office in Manila. "We renounce war as a national foreign policy, but we will have to stand and show the world we are a principled country."

Sitting in his office surrounded by history, philosophy and psychology books, Catapang, who has been in the job since July, sets out his priorities for an army that for years was occupied by an insurgency in the south. With China building artificial islands in the resource-rich South China Sea and boosting its naval presence to support its territorial claims, the focus for the Philippine military is turning outward.

Catapang is looking to boost defenses in Ulugan Bay on the island of Palawan, the Philippine military post about 160 kilometers (99 miles) from the disputed Spratly archipelago. He's also seeking lawmakers' approval for about $10 billion to buy fighter jets and warships to achieve a "world-class armed forces" by 2028. China's defense budget this year is around 47 times that of the Philippines' 123 billion pesos ($2.8 billion) -- 1 percent of gross domestic product.

The Spratlys are a collection of more than 100 islands or reefs that dot the waters of the southern South China Sea, and have been at the center of sparring for decades, claimed in part by Taiwan, Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines and China.

China is carrying out construction on some islands and shoals claimed by the Philippines and plans to erect five lighthouses there. The Philippines has sought international arbitration over its disputes with China, a process that country refuses to join.

China is "projecting the image that they own the South China Sea, but it's still under litigation," Catapang said, adding he doesn't view conflict with China as inevitable. "While it is being arbitrated, we want to show that we really own those islands. That's why we're putting the marines, the navy, the army in the islands that we possess."

Under the first phase of the modernization plan which lasts until 2017, the Philippines, a U.S. treaty ally, will buy three frigates to take its stock to six, Catapang, who is responsible for 120,000 servicemen and women, said. The military plans to increase its squadrons to three from one and install a nationwide early warning radar system and air defense artillery, he said.

"The modernization program is primarily focused on upgrading military capabilities, equipment and infrastructure," Budget Secretary Butch Abad said in e-mailed comments. "It's especially critical now, as the country faces threats to its security."

As other countries focus on projecting power outward, building longer-range naval and air capacity, the Philippines too wants to be part of a "bigger community," Catapang said.

"Twenty-first century wars will all be global," he said. "Global terrorism, global climate change, global warming, global maritime concern, global transnational crime, and hopefully not, global proliferation of weapons of mass destruction like nuclear war. Those are what we're preparing for."

President Xi Jinping has sought to extend China's reach since coming to power in November 2012, and the navy is modernizing and expanding its nuclear submarine base at Yalong Bay on Hainan Island, its gateway to the South China Sea. The Communist Party leadership has for the first time stated a national goal of making China a maritime power, with a more combat-ready military to bolster its territorial claims.

On Wednesday, Catapang traveled to Fort Magsaysay in the northern province of Nueva Ecija to distribute new 5.56 millimeter M4 assault rifles to soldiers, as the military acquires 50,629 of the weapons. Eight combat utility helicopters and eight long-range patrol jets will arrive this year, President Benigno Aquino said in July, while two of 12 FA-50 jets from South Korea will be delivered in 2015.

Equipment acquired from 2010 to 2014 included combat utility helicopters, troop carrier trucks and watercraft, according to the budget department.

The Philippines has replenished supplies to the Ayungin Shoal, where it scuttled a naval boat in 1999 to serve as an outpost, Catapang said, after China in March warned two Philippine boats near the disputed reef. In Ulugan Bay, the military needs about 4 billion pesos to develop a base, build a runway and expand its 1,000 strong-troops, Catapang said.

The modernization of the military also depends on the strength of the economy and gains in tax revenue, according to the general, who studied at the Australian Defence College. Aquino has overseen a revival of the economy with growth exceeding 7 percent in 2013 and tax revenue rising to a record.

"The progress of the nation is very crucial or else it will be a gun versus basic food, services issue," Catapang said.

Philippine general seeks arms upgrade as China expands - Chicago Tribune

While acquiring frigates is a good idea, we should also consider a fleet of fast attack ships armed with anti-ship missiles. If I remember it correctly, the US Navy's Millennium Challenge 2002 shows that a US Navy carrier battle group can be defeated by a large number of well-armed smaller ships and using WW-2-type signals and motorcycles.. Our tech may not advance but it is still more advance than any WW2-era tech.

 

[Zero_wing]

While acquiring frigates is a good idea, we should also consider a fleet of fast attack ships armed with anti-ship missiles. If I remember it correctly, the US Navy's Millennium Challenge 2002 shows that a US Navy carrier battle group can be defeated by a large number of well-armed smaller ships and using WW-2-type signals and motorcycles.. Our tech may not advance but it is still more advance than any WW2-era tech.

Yes they are check the plans for the MAPACS

 

[Cossack25A1]

PA-RDC Raptor UAV and Knight Falcon UAV

Overview:*

• Wingspan: 1.68m / 1.9m
• Weight: 2.1 kg
• Operating Altitude: 1000 feet
• Operating Radius: 3 to 7 km
• Payload: 12 Megapixel CCD Camera
• Cost: P 150,000 to P 350,000

Technical Specifications:*

• Developer: AFP - Philippine Army Research and Development
• Airframe: Skywalker RC Airframe - Two variations V3 and carbon fibre boom version.
• Propulsion: Electric brush-less
• Power System: Lithium-Polymer
• Radio Control: Futaba FASST 2.4gHz or with 433mhz range extender
• Autopilot: FeiyuTech (China) UAV GPS capable autopilot system with radio datalink. 433 or 900mhz.
• Ground Station: Software-based FYGCS on Windows 7.
• Video Link: Standard 5.8 gHz. FY Hornet OSD (On Screen Display)

-----
First used during the 2013 Zamboanga City crisis.

 

[Zero_wing]

PA-RDC Raptor UAV and Knight Falcon UAV

Overview:*

• 
  
  
  • Wingspan: 1.68m / 1.9m
  • Weight: 2.1 kg
  • Operating Altitude: 1000 feet
  • Operating Radius: 3 to 7 km
  • Payload: 12 Megapixel CCD Camera
  • Cost: P 150,000 to P 350,000

Technical Specifications:*

• 
  
  
  • Developer: AFP - Philippine Army Research and Development
  • Airframe: Skywalker RC Airframe - Two variations V3 and carbon fibre boom version.
  • Propulsion: Electric brush-less
  • Power System: Lithium-Polymer
  • Radio Control: Futaba FASST 2.4gHz or with 433mhz range extender
  • Autopilot: FeiyuTech (China) UAV GPS capable autopilot system with radio datalink. 433 or 900mhz.
  • Ground Station: Software-based FYGCS on Windows 7.
  • Video Link: Standard 5.8 gHz. FY Hornet OSD (On Screen Display)

-----
First used during the 2013 Zamboanga City crisis.

Wow fate satay night na man Saber Lily and Dark Saber aka Saber Alter anyway its nice UAV soon sana we can make bigger version of this things with longer range and possibily an attack version

 

[Cossack25A1]

Wow fate satay night na man Saber Lily and Dark Saber aka Saber Alter anyway its nice UAV soon sana we can make bigger version of this things with longer range and possibily an attack version

Well, I prefer Saber Lily than the other version of Saber.

Anyways, I hope that we do make it bigger since buying drones from others is more expensive and it would be better to create our own. A VTOL type drone could also be possible, similar to the MQ-8 drone.

 

[Aepsilons]

The modernization of the military also depends on the strength of the economy and gains in tax revenue, according to the general, who studied at the Australian Defence College. Aquino has overseen a revival of the economy with growth exceeding 7 percent in 2013 and tax revenue rising to a record.

Indeed, the performance of the Philippines has been known to all investors and partners, and this should be used as a pretext to increase defense expenditure. An acquisition bill should be concluded to purchase more frigates, more fighter aircraft and either anti tank vehicles or anti-tank weapons.

 

[Pinoy]

Philippine designed/built CES-Craft [link: Boat Shop - 400 Vigilante ]

400 VIGILANTE ASSAULT BOAT

SPECIFICATION

• Length over all: 30 ft.
• Beam: 7 ft. 8in.
• Depth: 4 ft.
• Recommended Power: 3×300 HP Outboard

 

[Bienvenido]

Infra can push growth to 9%
Sep. 05, 2014

The Philippine economy may grow faster by as much as 9 percent if the necessary infrastructure are in place, a leading economist said Friday.

Bank of the Philippine Islands lead economist Emilio Neri Jr. said the government must speed up the construction of priority infrastructures, especially on transportation.

“We need more seaports, airports, even trains to speed up the safe transport of goods and services. Within the new regional setup in the Asean, we have to upgrade our infrastructure if we are to compete and not lag behind,” he told reporters in a forum at the BPI head office in Makati City.

He said the Philippine economy had the potential to expand faster and would continue to lead growth in Asean if the government would seriously consider the needed reforms to push infrastructure.

“The potential of the economy will be eroded if the problem on infrastructure development will not be immediately addressed,” Neri said.

He cited the recent results of the World Competitiveness Index of the World Economic Forum. The Philippines, he said, still had much to do to catch up with more than a hundred economies in terms of good infrastructure network.

Infra can push growth to 9% - Manila Standard Today


___________________________

Current Philippine GDP 2nd Qtr 2014

PH economy picks up steam in 2nd quarter