By Kaela Patricia B. Gabriel
THE Philippines should accelerate investments in domestic drone manufacturing while expanding defense cooperation with like-minded nations to boost its military capabilities and improve its ability to respond to evolving security threats, international studies experts said last week.
Speaking at the Kyiv-Manila Strategic Dialogues 2026, retired Rear Admiral Rommel Jude G. Ong said one of the key lessons the Philippines could draw from Ukraine’s experience in resisting Russia’s invasion is the value of developing an indigenous drone industry.
“You have to be innovative and you have to throw the book away if the book is no longer relevant,” Mr. Ong, a professor of praxis at the Ateneo School of Government, said. “That’s why we’re looking now… at not buying drones, but actually building our sovereign drone production capability in the Philippines.”
He said a local drone industry would complement the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ modernization efforts, including the acquisition of the BrahMos missile system, by giving the country greater flexibility in surveillance, reconnaissance and maritime defense.
The Philippines and Ukraine agreed in October 2025 to pursue a drone co-production agreement. Ukrainian Ambassador Yuliia Fediv earlier said both countries were also exploring broader cooperation in cybersecurity and other defense-related technologies.
International Development and Security Cooperation President Chester B. Cabalza said drones have become an essential capability for archipelagic states such as the Philippines, which must monitor and defend thousands of kilometers of coastline and maritime territory.
“Our homegrown drone designs already rival foreign weapons built for asymmetrical warfare,” he told BusinessWorld via Messenger. “Local inventors are proving that strategic ingenuity outperforms massive military budgets.”
He said partnering with Ukraine would combine Philippine engineering capabilities with Kyiv’s battlefield experience, allowing Manila to develop systems tailored to its own defense requirements under the Self-Reliant Defense Posture framework.
“But the ultimate strategic objective is total self-reliance through low-cost, domestic mass production,” Mr. Cabalza said. “We must erect a robust, sovereign industrial base to secure our own borders.”
Mr. Cabalza added that local production would reduce dependence on foreign suppliers while supporting the government’s long-term defense industrialization goals.
De La Salle University Department of International Studies professor Charmaine M. Willoughby said continued defense cooperation with partners remains crucial as the Philippines confronts increasingly complex regional security challenges.
“A lesson that Ukraine may learn from the Philippines is to reach out with international partners,” she said, referring to Manila’s efforts to internationalize issues involving the South China Sea.
European Union Delegation to the Philippines Deputy Head of Mission Agata Nowicka said Ukraine’s experience showed that resilience extends beyond military capability.
“Ukraine shows us how important national unity is, the resilience of societies, international coalition-building and the need to expose all aggressions clearly and early enough,” she said.
The Philippines has stepped up defense engagement with regional and Western partners amid continued tensions with China in the South China Sea, particularly as the country marked the 10th anniversary of the 2016 arbitral ruling that voided Beijing’s expansive maritime claims.
During this week’s Association of Southeast Asian Nations Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, several partner countries reaffirmed support for international law and maritime security. Australia also announced additional funding for drone technology and operator training for the Philippine Coast Guard.
Mr. Ong said the Philippines should continue pursuing “minilateral” partnerships with countries sharing similar security concerns, citing Japan as a natural strategic partner because both countries face common challenges in maintaining a rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific region.
The Kyiv-Manila Strategic Dialogues, held at the Ateneo Professional Schools, also tackled cooperation between the Philippines and Ukraine on security, trade, labor and migration.
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