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NewsTranscript
00:00Secretary Blinken and I announced that we are poised to deliver a once-in-a-generation investment
00:06to help modernize the armed forces of the Philippines and the Philippine Coast Guard.
00:12The 500 million U.S. dollars, or equivalent to more than 29 billion pesos of foreign military financing
00:18that America announced yesterday,
00:20is the largest amount given by the U.S. Congress, according to Philippine Ambassador to the U.S. Jose Manuel Romualdez.
00:26That's the first salvo of the funding that we will be getting for our armed forces.
00:30We had planned that 10-year program.
00:33We're trying to put it down to maybe even 3 years or 5 years.
00:36Our armed forces are really big.
00:39One of the conditions that the military aid will provide for the AFP Modernization Program
00:44is the selection of military equipment that is interoperable or AKBA in U.S. military operations.
00:50Interoperability is the most important thing.
00:53All the equipment that will be given to us, or that we're going to be getting from MFF-1,
00:58it will be interoperable with their armed forces, especially their navy,
01:02which is going to be very prevalent and present here in the West Philippine Sea.
01:06But China is concerned about the entry of other countries into the issue of the South China Sea.
01:12The Philippines should have the authority to enter other countries
01:16so that they can initiate confrontation,
01:19but it will only be harmful to the region.
01:21It will only bring additional insecurity for the Philippines
01:24when external forces enter to protect its security.
01:29China is also removing the American missile system in the Philippines.
01:33America deployed its Typhoon Missile System during the Balikatan exercises in April.
01:38All I can really say is that first, these missiles are meant for our own defensive capabilities,
01:43our own ability to improve our defensive determinants.
01:48And they're not meant for any offensive purposes.
01:51So I really can't see, on that basis, how it would lead to an arms race.
01:56U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin visited Subic Bay in Olongapo, Zambales
02:01so that he can see the capabilities of the companies in Subic
02:04to build ships of the U.S. Navy and allied countries in the region.
02:08Today we saw some of our industrial base companies out here working together
02:15to create additional capability, and that's also very, very exciting.
02:20So, again, we've come a long way in three and a half years in our relationship with the Philippines.
02:27Secretary Austin's visit to Subic is just part of a broader and longer plan
02:33to strengthen and expand the capabilities of local companies here
02:38to serve and build U.S. Navy warships,
02:42as well as allied countries in the region.
02:45Next, the heavy blow left by Hurricane Karina,
02:49where 39 people have been affected,
02:53will cost the U.S. $1 million, or equivalent to more than P58 million,
02:58worth of humanitarian aid for those affected.
03:01For GMA Integrated News, who is your witness?
03:05My fellow countrymen, let's all be witnesses.
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03:12and for Kapuso Abroad, join us on GMA Pinoy TV and www.gmanews.tv.