EXECUTIVE SUMMARY he leadership of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte affirms its commitment to deliver a more secure, stable, just and prosperous future for the people of the Philippines. To translate this vision into reality, the Duterte Administration promulgated in April 2017 the National Security Policy (NSP) 2017-2022: For Change and Well-Being of the Filipino People. Subsequently, the NSP became the precursor as well as formed the basis for the development of this National Security Strategy (NSS), which in essence articulates in operational terms the policies set forth in the NSP. T This NSS is the Philippines’ first such official publication and follows the NSP’s overarching principle that national security and economic development are closely intertwined and mutually reinforcing concepts. As in the NSP, the NSS has the broad theme of bringing about meaningful and lasting socioeconomic and political change aimed at building a stronger nation and improving the lives of the majority of the Filipino people. The NSS outlines the ways and means to attain the national security vision, which the NSP states as: ““A safe and secure Philippines, at peace with itself and its neighbors, where its citizens are allowed to reach their full potential through the promotion of social justice and harmony, political stability, sound e n v i ro n m e n t a l m a n a g e m e n t , a n d economic progress.” The NSS integrates the State’s major security policies, goals, responsibilities and courses of action into a roadmap or blueprint for the fulfillment of the national security vision. It seeks to foster better coordination, synchronization and cohesion of government functions in order to improve efficiency and maximize the use of limited State resources. The NSS also serves as an important vehicle to articulate the national interest, convey the State’s intentions, and rally public support for government policies and programs. The support of Congress in particular will be crucial to the success of the NSS in terms of enacting the necessary legislations related to national security and appropriating their fiscal requirements. [iv]