MANILA, Philippines—The Armed Forces of the Philippines will not be able to attain the same level of modernity in its weapons as other countries in the region despite a modernization program, Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro said Saturday.

Speaking on Vice President Noli de Castro’s weekly radio program, “Para Sa Iyo, Bayan,” Teodoro admitted the money being allocated for the AFP modernization program was not sufficient to make the military effective in countering any external attacks.

He said that doubling the allocation, from the present P5 billion a year, in the next six years would also not make a difference as far as the pace of modernization of other countries was concerned.

Teodoro was asked in the radio program to comment on reports quoting former Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz as saying the AFP needed additional funding to become effective.

“In general the military has been able to meet all its goals. But we fall short in the modernization program and capability upgrading project of the government where we spend P5 billion every year,” Teodoro said in Filipino.

In the case of the conflict in Mindanao, Teodoro stressed that the AFP’s resources and equipment were more than enough to deal with the problem since it was an internal conflict.

Double the amount

Nevertheless, Teodoro said there was a need to increase the modernization fund from the current P5 billion a year to P10 billion for the next six years to make the AFP really effective.

“Who wouldn’t want P10 billion a year, but I must point out P10 billion a year for six years won’t attain the same level of modernization as our neighbors,” he added also in Filipino.

In a related development, the Australian government, through the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), will provide over P12 million in humanitarian assistance to those affected by the conflict in Mindanao, particularly in the provinces of North Cotabato and Lanao del Norte.

Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Rod Smith said the contribution would address the needs of the people uprooted from their homes and separated from their means of livelihood because of the conflict. Assistance will include essential items like water and sanitation facilities, food and counseling services in evacuation centers.

Largest donor

“Australia hopes that people displaced by the conflict are able to return home as soon as possible, and the efforts of the government, donors and NGOs can resume the focus on peace-building and development,” Smith said.

Australia is working with the United Nations, the National Disaster Coordinating Council, as well as other donors and international and local organizations, to coordinate efforts on humanitarian response.

The funds will be made available through the Government of the Philippines-United Nations Multi-Donor Program (GoP-UNMDP) Action for Conflict Transformation (ACT) for Peace. Australia, through AusAID, has been the largest donor to the GoP-UNMDP since 1997 with contribution of about P1.3 billion until 2010.