NATIONAL SECURITY POLICY The Government shall also work for the early passage of pending bills in Congress pertaining to national security concerns. Among these are the Revised National Defense bill, Mandatory ROTC bill, Defense Acquisition bill, Archipelagic Sea Lanes bill and the Maritime Zones bill. Alternatives to the Bangsamoro Basic Law must be formulated/enacted. The Government will vigorously pursue amendments to the Philippine Constitution aimed at facilitating the shift to a new form of government and refining key economic provisions. Executive Orders, Memoranda, Directives, Letter of Instructions, etc. will also be issued from time to time to strengthen security legislation. DEFENSE AND LAW ENFORCEMENT SPENDING AND MODERNIZATION Developing a credible defense and law enforcement capability is a crucial cornerstone of national security and an intrinsic goal of the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) modernization programs. More particularly, the AFP program has suffered repeated and continuing setbacks since it was started in the 1990s. To date, our Philippine military remains as one of the most poor-equipped forces in the world. In the ASEAN, the Philippines is second to the lowest among the ten member countries, spending only between 1.1% and 1.3% of its GDP on defense. But there is a silver lining to this disheartening picture. The economy’s strong performance over the past several years is making it possible to finally afford the modernization package that Filipino police and soldier’s need. It is the Government’s agenda to ensure that any further gains on the economic front shall be accompanied by sustained efforts to modernize the uniformed services. STRATEGIC INDUSTRIES / FLAGSHIP PROJECTS Strategic industries vital to sustained economic growth and national security should be given renewed emphasis. The Government must pursue as strategic projects under PublicPrivate Partnership (PPP) or as National Security Industries and Flagship Projects the following industries: 1. 2. 3. 4. Agribusiness and Fishery Industry Aircraft Industry Bio-Technology Industry Construction Industry 9. 10. 11. 12. 6. and Risk Reduction Industry Electronics Industry 13. Shipbuilding Industry 14. Satellite Systems and Space Industry 5. 7. 8. Disaster Prevention, Mitigation Environment Industry Land Combat System Munitions Industry and Modern Mining Industry Renewable Energy Industry Robotics Industry Information and Communications Technology Industry 15. Strategic Industry Materials and Resource 16. Transportation Industry 27|Page