Philippine coastguard warns budget cuts could weaken South China Sea patrols

The Philippine Coast Guard is seeking additional vessels, aircraft, unmanned systems, stations and personnel as Manila prepares to expand its responsibilities in the disputed South China Sea. At the same time, proposed budget reductions threaten the service’s existing operational capacity. Coast Guard chief Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan said the agency had about 40 vessels and planned to add more than 40 over five years.

He warned that fleet numbers on paper did not necessarily reflect the ships available for active duty. Gavan told a Senate finance committee that cuts to repair and maintenance funding could eventually leave the service without enough operational ships. He said the coastguard was operating at an 80 to 90 per cent tempo, with vessels spending much of their time at sea and having limited opportunities for overhaul.

The agency also faced an aircraft shortage, with one plane operational and another under repair. Funding for acquiring air and floating assets was reduced by 3.3 billion pesos, while sea-based patrol funding was cut by 812 million pesos. A request for unmanned surface and undersea systems was reduced by 600 million pesos, and intelligence funding by 150 million pesos.

The coastguard had also sought funds for recruitment, family hospital insurance and eight new stations, including facilities in Palawan and the Kalayaan Island Group in the Spratlys. The proposed reductions reflect what political risk analyst Ronald Llamas and budget specialist Zyza Suzara described as limited fiscal space, linked to debt servicing, higher operating costs and mandatory transfers to local governments. Gavan said the cuts would constrain daily responses.

The warning follows recent encounters involving Chinese vessels near Philippine-claimed waters. Manila said Chinese ships intervened during a resupply mission at Second Thomas Shoal, while Beijing described its actions as lawful enforcement. The countries dispute maritime rights and China rejects a 2016 international arbitration ruling relied on by the Philippines.

A revised Coast Guard Law, which has cleared the Senate and is moving through Congress, would give the agency a clearer maritime-security and counterterrorism role and establish minimum staffing levels. The budget debate, however, centres on whether the coastguard can maintain its current responsibilities.