SIRM lauds revitalization of father's SRDP
October 8, 2024
SIRM lauds revitalization of father's SRDP
Our best national defense today, as it was in the 1970s, is a self-reliant defense posture.
After visiting and consulting the officers of all six Unified Commands, and crafting the working bill, I applaud today the signing of RA 12024 or the Self-Reliant Defense Posture Revitalization Act. This will revive my late father's efforts towards an independent foreign policy through the Self-Reliant Defense Program(SRDP) initiated in 1974.
Under that program, the Philippines was able to produce M-16 assault rifles, 60 and 81 mm mortar tubes, mini cruisers on which we all learned to drive, hovercrafts, marcelo boats, and high-speed cigarette boats which we even exported. The Philippines also had local missile research and development which produced the BongBong missile.
R.A. 12024 will usher-in similar innovations and bring life to our local defense industry. In-country enterprises engaged in the development, production, manufacture, assembly, servicing, or operation of defense materiel may avail of incentives under R.A. 11534 or the CREATE Act.
In addition, these enterprises will be exempt from national internal revenue taxes, value-added taxes, and customs duties on their importation of capital equipment and raw material. Procurement contracts for defense materiel may be awarded to in-country enterprises without the necessity of a bidding.
Finally, these enterprises will be exempt from the Single Largest Completed Contract requirement, as well as the requirement that the product that they sell to the government must be used by at least two (2) foreign militaries.
Indeed, we must continue to encourage local technology, innovation, and a renewed local defense manufacturing industry so that the defense of the country truly lies in the hands of the Filipino people.
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