Metro Manila, Philippines – The US Senate has approved a defense measure that would authorize roughly ₱147 billion ($2.5 billion) in security assistance for the Philippines over five years, embedding the provision in the 2026 National Defense Authorization Bill that now heads to President Donald Trump for signature.
The Philippines Enhanced Resilience Act, introduced by Sens. Bill Hagerty and Tim Kaine, would deepen defense cooperation between Washington and Manila amid growing security concerns in the Indo-Pacific.
“As the United States and the Philippines face growing challenges to security and prosperity in the West Philippines Sea and the wider Indo-Pacific, it’s critical for our two nations to deepen cooperation and raise our decades-long Alliance to even greater heights,” Hagerty said in a statement announcing the Senate passage.
Hagerty said the bipartisan legislation “will significantly increase US security assistance to the Philippines and profoundly strengthen and modernize the defense and deterrence capabilities of our alliance.”
The measure would authorize up to $500 million (around ₱28 billion) in foreign military financing grants annually from fiscal years 2026 through 2030. It also requires the State Department, in coordination with the Defense Department, to submit annual spending plans to Congress on how that assistance would be utilized, including assessments of capabilities needed to modernize Philippine defense.
The assessments would cover coastal defense, long-range fires, integrated air defenses, maritime security, manned and unmanned aerial systems, mechanized ground mobility vehicles, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, and defensive cybersecurity.
“The Philippines is a key ally of the United States, and we must strengthen cooperation with our partners across the region to counter China’s aggression and help ensure freedom, security, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific,” Kaine said.
He added that he was glad the legislation “to significantly boost our security partnership with the Philippines was included in this year’s defense bill.”
The National Defense Authorization Act, passed annually by Congress, sets policy and funding priorities for the US military and national security programs.
Once signed into law, the law’s Philippines provision would represent one of the most substantial US defense assistance commitments to Manila in recent years, reinforcing Washington’s longstanding alliance with the Southeast Asian ally.
Trump is expected to sign the defense bill into law.
