DND Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. has reshaped Philippine national security policy by accelerating military modernization and strengthening alliances with the United States, Japan, Australia, and other partners.
The secretary has also advanced a proposal to raise defense spending to 4% of GDP, citing the current 1.3% to 1.5% as insufficient for maintaining maritime sovereignty and credible deterrence.
Defense investment is argued to stimulate economic growth by expanding advanced manufacturing, logistics, research and development, infrastructure, and skilled employment, a relationship observed in the United States, Israel, South Korea, and Japan.
In comparison, South Korea spends roughly 2.8% of GDP on defense, Poland exceeds 4% amid regional tensions, and NATO sets a 2% minimum benchmark; the Philippines lacks a strategic justification for remaining among the lowest spenders.
A 1991 Supreme Court ruling confirms that Congress retains the power to adjust budgets for national interests, indicating that increased defense spending is constitutionally permissible.
National security must be anchored in institutional mechanisms that extend beyond any single administration, a principle supported by constitutional provisions that grant Congress authority over public expenditures and treaty ratification.
Congress can institutionalize sustained defense investment through multi‑year appropriation laws, automatic funding mechanisms, or earmarked revenues, and can confirm officials who will uphold continuity within the national security establishment.
A National Security Strategy Act could formalize priorities such as external defense, maritime security, alliance management, cyber resilience, critical infrastructure protection, and defense modernization.
The National Security Council, the Department of Foreign Affairs, and the Armed Forces should continue to strengthen professionalism, ensuring expertise endures through electoral transitions.
Historical precedent shows that Philippine presidents have maintained strategic coherence despite differing economic policies, consistently supporting a capable armed forces and the U.S. alliance.
Comparable constitutional democracies, such as the United States and the United Kingdom, preserve long‑term strategic direction through congressional powers and a permanent civil service.
Teodoro’s lasting legacy will depend on embedding his defense agenda into a durable policy framework that survives beyond 2028, ensuring that national interests remain paramount over short‑term political considerations.
