Philippines gets US support in preventing illegal trade of materials for weapons
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines received equipment and training from the United States to develop an e-licensing platform, which is aimed to precent the illegal trade of materials that may be used for military equipment such as the production of weapons of mass destruction.
The program is part of the P1.65-billion ($30 million) Cooperative Threat Reduction Program of the US Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA CTR). It will focus on the agency’s biological threat reduction and chemical security and elimination efforts.
"We aim to balance facilitating legitimate trade and maintaining international peace and security, and we want to trade in tools while ensuring that these tools are not used as weapons," Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual said.
"The STMO e-licensing platform is a way forward in responsibly managing strategic goods and providing related services."
Pascual added that the management and monitoring of the use of weapons of WMDs and other proliferation issues are part of the Philippines’ international obligations on peace and security.
The DTRA CTR gave the Philippines hardware, software, and personnel training to implement the program under the Department of Trade and Industry’s Strategic Trade Management Office.
The e-licensing platform aims to help with export trade controls and ramp up financing of counterproliferation efforts. It will be the platform that will help make all the transactions "more efficient, transparent, and secure."
"DTRA CTR values its longstanding partnership with the Philippine government in preventing the proliferation of WMDs and related materials and delivery systems," DTRA Chemical Security and Elimination Program Manager Michelle Nalabandian said. — Kaycee Valmonte
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