Letters | Philippine maritime defence must focus on domestic needs first

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Recent acquisitions by the Philippines, such as the BrahMos missiles from India, have raised an important question: will these strengthen deterrence or risk regional destabilisation? (“As Philippines ‘bristles’ with foreign-made missiles, is it a deterrent or a danger?, May 18)

This is certainly a question worth pondering. But the Philippines’ prolonged tit-for-tat with China should have made one thing clear: security begins at home. There is no point in simply reinforcing the walls of a house if its foundation is crumbling.

No reasonable objection can be had to growing the country’s missile arsenal if that strategy is based on enhancing coastguard capabilities and creating economic opportunities for coastal communities. In other words, shoring up defence must not merely be a signal: it must be matched and motivated by an internal focus.

These conditions erode morale and hinder timely responses to maritime disasters like oil spills. While there are significant efforts to modernise, the focus must go beyond increasing personnel to include proper training, adequate vessels and critical infrastructure upgrades to support all of the coastguard’s mandates – from maritime law enforcement to environmental protection. We must reduce reliance on external support and build lasting, self-sufficient capabilities.