The Philippines may soon see a stronger, more tech-driven Armed Forces as House Deputy Majority Leader and Camarines Sur Rep. Luigi Villafuerte pushed for the use of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) or military-grade drones to bolster defense and disaster response.
Villafuerte filed House Bill 1362, or the “National Defense Drone Act,” which seeks to establish the Philippine Unmanned Aerial Systems Program (PUASP). This initiative would involve acquiring drones, training military operators, and setting inter-agency protocols for deployment in missions ranging from border patrol and anti-terrorism to environmental protection and rescue operations.
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Modernizing Defense Through Drones
“It is imperative for our military and defense establishment to acquire, deploy, and integrate military-grade AES involving UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles), otherwise known as ‘drones,’ to strengthen the Philippines’ military defense, surveillance, and disaster response, amongst others,” Villafuerte said in filing HB 1362.
The proposed PUASP also envisions research partnerships with local universities, colleges, and startups to support drone innovation and maintenance. A Strategic Defense Technology Transfer Program would complement this, offering tax incentives to the private sector to encourage domestic production and reduce reliance on costly imports.
Multi-Sectoral Benefits
Villafuerte stressed that drones are no longer confined to military operations, noting their integration in fields such as videography, logistics, and climate monitoring. “Their use made military operations 10 times faster and more efficient in terms of surveillance and security, search and rescue, and monitoring climate change, as human capacity and capabilities are limited,” he added.
Through the measure, the military would gain access to various drone classes—surveillance drones for real-time maritime monitoring, combat drones equipped with precision-guided munitions, logistics drones for medical evacuations and supply delivery, and specialized drones for disaster response.
Funding the Shift
To jumpstart the program, HB 1362 proposes an initial P10 billion allocation from the national budget or the defense modernization fund, with additional appropriations to be included annually under the General Appropriations Act.
Villafuerte pointed out that drones have been part of the Philippine defense conversation since 2013, when the Department of National Defense first eyed their acquisition. By 2017, the Philippine Marine Corps began integrating them for reconnaissance, followed by the Philippine Army and Air Force in 2018 with U.S.-funded ScanEagle UAVs. More recently, the Philippine Coast Guard utilized drones to monitor coastlines amid rising tensions in the West Philippine Sea.
With the proposed law, the government aims to institutionalize these gains and create a structured program that aligns defense modernization with technological self-sufficiency.
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