Should PH increase its defense budget?

DURING the World Economic Forum, President Marcos was asked if he would expand the Philippines’ defense budget, just like Japan.

His answer was that there’s “no point” in building up the PH armory, and added that his administration is committed to peaceful resolutions in the South China Sea.

Marcos defended his point by stating that the Philippines does not have the resources to create a military that could meaningfully fight a large conventional war. If you’re not strong enough to fight in a war, why bother spending on your military?

I partly agree with the President on this. The Philippines does not have the resources to build a big or advanced military. However, that does not mean we should not try to invest in our national armory. It’s important to remember that war is politics by other means, and in politics, what people bring to the table determines their bargaining power.

Consider our allies in the region. They will most likely forge stronger ties with those who they see as having the same interests as them, and this includes in military terms.

Take Indonesia and Vietnam, for example. Both have issues with the People’s Republic of China similar to our own. Indonesia’s latest defense budget is $9.3 billion, while Vietnam’s is projected to grow to almost $8 billion. Contrast this with the Philippines’ defense budget in 2022: $4.40 billion.

I’m not saying we should try to keep up with these countries, but we should at least try. We may not have the resources to build a big military, but we should at least be open to the idea should the opportunity present itself.

If the Philippines shows unwillingness to at least upgrade its military, both its allies and rivals will treat the country as irrelevant in the grand calculus of global politics, a non-entity to be used or dictated to by stronger powers and which lack the means to pursue its own interests./