Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. proposes increasing the Philippines’ defense spending to as much as 4% of gross domestic product (GDP) amid continuing tensions in the West Philippine Sea. Teodoro says the government should realign existing funding and gradually raise defense allocations to at least 2–3%, eventually reaching 4%, to support military modernization and deterrence. The proposal is framed around the need to strengthen the country’s armed forces in response to external threats, with both reports linking the call to heightened geopolitical pressure involving China in the area.
Teodoro makes the remarks to reporters in the context of the Stratbase Institute’s commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the 2016 arbitral award, which the Philippines cites in its maritime claims. Neither report indicates that the higher budget target has already been approved, and both present it as a recommendation from the defense chief rather than an enacted increase. The statements underscore an ongoing policy debate on defense funding levels as maritime tensions persist.
