US allots $42M for maritime security assistance to Philippines

The United States has offered $42 million in aid to beef up the Philippines' maritime security amid China's incursions into disputed areas in the South China Sea, outgoing Philippine Ambassador to Washington Jose Cuisia said.

The amount represents 84 percent of the $50 million allotted to five Southeast Asian countries--Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand--this year as part of the US' five-year maritime capacity building assistance worth $426 million.

"We have a much stronger security and military alliance now with the US," said Cuisia in his speech on Friday at the testimonial lunch hosted by US Ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg.

By 2017, the US is expected to release $75 million and $100 million in 2018 to the five countries but the Philippines' share from the amount has yet to be determined, according to Cuisia.

The outgoing envoy also welcomed the US transfer of the US Coast Guard Cutter (USCGC) Boutwell to the Philippine Navy to provide greater maritime presence and patrols inside the Philippines' 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea.

The Philippines has one of the weakest military forces in Asia, prompting governments from then President Fidel Ramos to Benigno Aquino III to ramp up defense spending. —Virgil Lopez/ALG