Joselito Malig

Article (news)

Bianca Dava

ABS-CBN News

MANILA — The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) expressed full support for the call of Defense Secretary Gilberto Jr. to speed up the implementation of the military’s modernization program due to evolving security challenges and rapid technological changes.According to Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, Philippine Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, the horizon planning for the modernization of the military has been ongoing since 1992.“That is a very welcome statement by the Secretary of National Defense,” Trinidad said.“There are changes already in technology, in the operating environment. Hence, the need to fast-track our projects,” he continued.AFP spokesperson Colonel Francel Margareth Padila also emphasized the military’s adaptability amid evolving defense needs.“We would like to note now that in terms of the modernization, the AFP is a very resilient organization. With the advent of contemporary modern challenges and [the] advent of technological advances at this stage, normally, our modernization takes around ten years to complete. It is done by phases,” Padilla explained.“With the pronouncement of the Department of National Defense, we really welcome that to fast track the recalibrated Re-horizon 3 from Horizon 3 to address the modern challenges that we are facing,” she added.Teodoro earlier said that the AFP needs to do away with a 15-year modernization phase, which he described as “too long and too impracticable” as the Philippines gears up for external threats.The defense chief noted that the modernization program must be more flexible.Passed in 1995, Republic Act No. 7898 or the AFP Modernization Act seeks to upgrade the capabilities of the Philippine Army, Philippine Navy and Philippine Air Force over a 15-year period.It was revised in 2012, extending the program and allocating P75 billion, with implementation divided into three “horizons” or phases.Horizon 1 took place from 2013 to 2107, while Horizon 2 ran from 2018 to 2022. Horizon 3 was set for 2023 to 2028.However, in January 2024, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. approved a further overhaul of the third horizon of the program, now called “Re-horizon 3,” which expanded the timeline to ten years.Re-horizon 3 also reshuffled the military’s acquisition priorities, with emphasis on multi-domain defense capabilities.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) expressed full support for the call of Defense Secretary Gilberto Jr. to speed up the implementation of the military’s modernization program due to evolving security challenges and rapid technological changes.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) expressed full support for the call of Defense Secretary Gilberto Jr. to speed up the implementation of the military’s modernization program due to evolving security challenges and rapid technological changes.

AFP welcomes DND push to fast-track modernization program

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AFP welcomes DND push to fast-track modernization program

Bianca Dava,

ABS-CBN News

Published August 28, 2025 10:48 PM PHT

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Armed Forces of the Philippines

Department of National Defense

Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr.

modernization

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