House Deputy Majority Leader Luigi Villafuerte has cited President Marcos for his renewed commitment to the modernization of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), as the congressman expressed hope that our Commander-in-Chief would back this 2026 two proposals to set aside a combined P15 billion for beefing up the AFP’s defense capabilities via the rehabilitation of our old yet still operational aircraft and the acquisition plus subsequent manufacture of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) or drones.
“President Marcos is spot on in pursuing the continued AFP modernization program amid national security threats like the escalating tensions in the WPS (West Philippine Sea),” said Villafuerte, “and we hope our Commander-in-Chief could support the long-term defense buildup by endorsing two pending bills on recommissioning old yet operational helicopters plus other aircraft, and acquiring, and later on building our own, drones for surveillance, reconnaissance, combat and disaster-response, among others.”
The former CamSur governor hoped that to bolster the long-term AFP modernization program, President Marcos could endorse the complementary House Bill (HB) No. 1362 and HB 1363 for priority action by the 20th Congress when it reopens on Jan. 26 after its month-long yuletide break.
HB 1362 earmarks an initial P10 billion for acquiring and, later on, building our own drones not only for fighting terrorism, insurgency and other crimes, but also for disaster response, environmental protection, and border patrol and search-and-rescue missions.
Both bills were principally authored by Luigi Villafuerte.
HB 1362 proposes the establishment of the Philippine Unmanned Aerial System Program (PUASP) and Strategic Defense Technology Transfer Program (SDTTP) for “the acquisition of surveillance, reconnaissance, combat, disaster-response and medical evacuation (medevac) drones, and the establishment of an R&D (research and development) program to enable the Philippines to build its own UAS ecosystem in the long run.”
This bill earmarks an initial P10 billion for acquiring and, later on, building our own drones not only for fighting terrorism, insurgency and other crimes, but also for disaster response, environmental protection, and border patrol and search-and-rescue missions.
HB 1363 proposes, meanwhile, the creation by the Department of National Defense (DND) of a Military Air Asset Rehabilitation Program (MAARP) to conduct technical inspection and feasibility analysis of old helicopters and other available military aircraft for possible recommissioning; and to conduct, with the AFP, a full inventory of all decommissioned aircraft in military storage nationwide.
It allocates an initial amount of P5 billion for this recommissioning program, to be sourced from the unprogrammed funds of the national budget or other available funding sources.
Villafuerte raised the twin proposals after President Marcos, during the recent oath-taking ceremony at Malacañang for newly promoted generals and flag officers, vowed that his Administration would prioritize the AFP’s modernization, in support of our military’s long-term defense posture.
“As your President and your Commander-in-Chief, I reaffirm this administration’s commitment to the continued modernization of the Armed Forces,” Mr. Marcos said.
Otherwise known as the “National Defense Drone Act,” HB 1362 seeks the establishment of the PUASP to oversee the acquisition of drones, deployment of such unmanned vehicles, inter-agency usage protocols, data security compliance and training of drone operators and technicians.
According to the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the average lifespan of an aircraft is around 25 to 40 years, depending on the kind of aircraft, Villafuerte said.
By way of the PUASP, Villafuerte likewise wants the military to pursue R&D activities with local universities and colleges as well as tech start-ups to spur the local manufacture and maintenance of drones.
Also, HB 1362 proposes the establishment of the SDTTP, as a complement to the PUASP, to provide tax incentives to the private sector to engage in drone development, as a way to encourage local innovation and reduce long-term costs for this drone acquisition program.
Drones are unmanned aircraft that are operated remotely by pilots from a well calculated distance to oversee a wide range of landscape, seascape, riverscape and cityscape, amongst others, for purposes of aerial photography and aerial videography, surveillance and security, search and rescue, delivery of goods and services, monitoring of climate change and other environmental changes, and military operations.
The HB 1362-proposed P10-billion initial outlay shall be allocated for both PUASP and SDTTP, and to be sourced from the national budget and/or AFP modernization fund, and subsequently, with additional funding through the annual General Appropriations Act (GAA) written yearly by the Congress.
Villafuerte said this program on UAS or drones has acquired greater urgency after Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro and Philippine National Police (PNP) Acting Chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez, Jr. separately cited last year the need for the respective tech-driven modernization of the AFP and PNP, including the acquisition—and eventual development of our own—airborne and land-based drone and counter-drone systems.
“Our military, defense and police establishments should have the wherewithal to acquire, deploy and integrate—and later on build our own— UAVs or drones, to strengthen the combat, surveillance, medivac, patrol and disaster response, among others, of our military and police forces,” said Villafuerte.
Teodoro stressed in his keynote speech at the Philippine Navy Drone Warfare Summit 2025 at the Subic Freeport the importance for an archipelagic country like the Philippines to develop a manufacturing ecosystem for unmanned systems, as a UAS capability levels the playing field for countries facing adversaries with better military power.
Otherwise known as the “Military Air Asset Rehabilitation and Modernization Act,” HB 1363 tasks the DND to initiate a Military Air Asset Rehabilitation Program (MAARP) to conduct technical inspection and feasibility analysis of available aircraft for possible recommissioning, and conduct, with the AFP, a full inventory of all decommissioned aircraft in military storage nationwide, within 90 days from the effectivity of this Act.
HB 1363 allocates an initial amount of P5 billion for this recommissioning program, to be sourced from the unprogrammed funds of the national budget or other available funding sources, while subsequent funding shall be included in the annual GAA.
According to the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the average lifespan of an aircraft is around 25 to 40 years, depending on the kind of aircraft, Villafuerte said.
“Aircraft are eventually considered to be decommissioned for safety reasons and also for economic reasons, because, just like every vehicle, aircraft depreciate and lead to an increase in maintenance costs,” he said. “Moreover, newer and more efficient models become available to the military.”
As the State’s cost-effective strategy, Villafuerte said, “HB 1363 aims to recommission old yet operational aircraft to meet the military’s operational demands without compromising our major capital outlay.”
“Considering the current issue on the West Philippine Sea, recommissioning decommissioned aircraft will help increase our military and territorial presence in the contested Philippine waters and better prepare our AFP for future and possible military operations,” he said.
On top of rehabilitating and restoring serviceable decommissioned AFP air assets, the bill-proposed MAARP shall work on:
· Reducing the Armed Forces’ reliance on foreign procurement by maximizing existing military inventory;
· Supporting local aviation industries, including parts manufacturing, retrofitting, and repair;
· Enhancing the capability of the AFP for both combat and disaster response operations;
· Promoting the cost-effective modernization of national defense; and
· Recycling the materials of decommissioned air assets for purposes of upgrading or repairing existing military air assets.
