US Senate approves $2.5B security package for PHL through PERA Act

The United States Senate has approved a $2.5 billion security assistance package for the Philippines through the Philippines Enhanced Resilience Act (PERA Act).

The bipartisan legislation, introduced by Senators Bill Hagerty and Tim Kaine, authorizes up to $500 million in Foreign Military Financing grant assistance annually from 2026 to 2030.

This PERA Act is included in the larger National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which has a total spending authorization of $900 billion.

The bill aims to enhance defense cooperation and strengthen the capabilities and interoperability of the US-Philippines Alliance to address escalating threats in the Indo-Pacific region.

Philippine Ambassador to Washington, Jose Manuel Romualdez, hailed the package as the most significant defense assistance ever provided by the U.S. to its oldest Asian treaty ally.

Romualdez emphasized that this substantial aid demonstrates the unwavering commitment of the U.S. to the mutual defense pact between the two nations, countering any perceptions of the Philippines being sidelined in U.S. defense strategies.