Technology: The future is here

I was in San Francisco for a couple of days where I was invited to deliver remarks and take part in a forum for the Fleet Week Senior Leaders Seminar onboard the USS Tripoli, an America-class amphibious assault ship. With us were US Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro as well as representatives of the Pacific Partnership (an annual deployment of forces from the US Navy’s Pacific Fleet) and the Koa Moana 24 mission from the US Marine Corps’ I Marine Expeditionary Force. Participants to the by invitation-only program include leaders from government, the military, and the private sector.

The San Francisco Fleet Week is the biggest civic event of the West Coast, attracting over 1.2 million visitors to the Bay Area annually. The week-long celebration was started in 1981 by the late Senator Dianne Feinstein – a good friend of the Philippines – when she was mayor of San Francisco, and the event has since become the most significant of its kind in the US.

San Francisco is known as the innovation hub of the world and is home to Silicon Valley where some of the biggest tech and software companies are located such as Google, Meta and Apple. The city continues to be the top choice of startups, with Hayes Valley getting nicknamed “Cerebral Valley” because of the growing community of artificial intelligence techies and founders in the area.

I am simply amazed to see driverless taxis on the streets of San Francisco – proof of the AI boom that’s happening – with many women saying they prefer “robotaxis” because they feel safer. We will need this type of transportation in the Philippines to get rid of reckless and lawless drivers.

In New York, plans are on the way to launch commercial electric air taxis or electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for short distance air travel, which are also being developed in San Francisco. Imagine flying in the sky from point to point without traffic – a scene straight out of The Jetsons, an old, animated show about a family living in the futuristic Orbit City.

So much has changed in San Francisco since I lived in the Bay Area many years ago, but it sure felt like a homecoming because of the warm welcome we received from the Filipino-American community. I was fortunate to join them for the 20th Filipino American History Month celebration with Mayor London Breed at the San Francisco city hall, along with our Philippine Consul General Neil Ferrer.

As I said during my remarks, I was pleased to see the thriving Filipino community – a testament to the enduring relationship between the US and the Philippines. The Filipino American History Month celebrated in October is very significant as we will also commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Leyte Gulf that lasted from Oct. 23 to 26 in 1944 – a shared history with the United States. People also remember the historic landing of General Douglas MacArthur on the shores of Palo, Leyte on Oct. 20, 1944, which has been immortalized in history books and that many Filipinos consider as a sign of the US commitment to the alliance.

The relationship between the Philippines and the United States has never been stronger, benefiting from the continuing positive momentum in various aspects of cooperation such as defense and security, economic and other areas of mutual interest. But as I have said on several occasions, we must boost efforts to modernize the Armed Forces of the Philippines and enhance our defense capability to become a mutually reliable partner that can also significantly contribute to the alliance, especially at this time when we face so many challenges.

That is why the signing of the Self-Reliant Defense Posture (SRDP) Revitalization Act is very timely because it aims to develop our local defense industry and lessen our dependence on foreign suppliers down the line.

“We are anchoring our defense strategy firmly in the strength of our own resources and capabilities” President Marcos said, explaining that the new law seeks to “create a framework that makes us less dependent, more resilient, better prepared” for challenges ahead.

Priority will be given to research and technology, with the president emphasizing the need for collaboration among the best minds in defense, science and technology and business – to fulfill the vision of “a defense posture that is independent, dynamic, and geared to the future.”

Armscor Global Defense, the Philippines’ biggest defense manufacturer and a longtime advocate of SRDP, is very much aligned with the vision of the president and already started the ball rolling by working with science and technology experts and former members of the military to develop new products responsive to the unique needs and requirements of Filipino military and law enforcement personnel.

Armscor utilizes robotics and new technologies in manufacturing world-class products, and its Marikina plant alone produces over 650 million rounds of ammunition and 350,000 firearms annually.

According to Armscor CEO Martin Tuason, they already have the base to grow and the technology to start with. But in terms of research and development for products that are not yet available in the Philippines, he believes the fastest way to develop is via technology transfer from foreign partners to start building the foundation. Being a treaty ally, the Philippines can ask the US for technology transfer which they would probably give “in a heartbeat,” Martin says.

With the new law, the Philippines is taking a big step that will help it acquire the technological knowledge to upgrade and strengthen its defense capabilities through innovations that would enable it to safeguard its future.

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