ABSTRACT
The Philippines is a Southeast Asian country which struggles with its defence. Following decades of dependence on Washington during the Cold War, Manila had to handle its security independently afterward, and its performance in the 1990s and 2000s was rather poor owing to insufficient funding, endless insurgency and improper planning, among other factors. Consequently, the modernisation of the armed forces of the Philippines (AFP) fell significantly behind many other countries in the region and the country has been unable to effectively respond to China's challenges in the West Philippine Sea. Beginning during the Aquino administration in the early 2010s, the Philippines has gradually rebuilt the AFP's capabilities with some sophisticated platforms, but it remains unable to adequately cope with the volatile geostrategic environment.
