Philippines' President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday signed a document that extended the validity of the 2021 national budget, which includes the release of special funds for the acquisition of shore-based anti-ship missiles for the Philippine Navy under its modernisation programme.
On 27 December, P2.835 billion ($60 million) was allocated to the Department of National Defence to cover "the initial funding requirements for the Shore-Based Anti-Ship Missile System Acquisition Project of the Philippine Navy under the Revised Armed Forces of the Philippines Modernisation Programme".
The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has said in a statement that government agencies have until December 2022 to use their respective allocations under the financial year 2021 national budget.
The Inquirer.net has reported that a notice of award (NOA), a written confirmation of the grant of a contract to a successful project proponent, is currently "in process" for the BrahMos missile system.
The Philippines and India signed the "Implementing Arrangement Concerning the Procurement of Defence Material and Equipment" in March, providing a government-level framework for Manila to procure the BrahMos missiles and potentially other Indian defence equipment.
23 December 2019, 16:01 GMT
In December 2019, Filipino Secretary of Defence Delfin Lorenza announced that the Department of National Defence was planning to order the BrahMos system in 2020.
That schedule, however, was disrupted after the Philippine government stalled military procurements and distributed allocated funds to boost health services against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The BrahMos missile is expected to enter the service of the Philippine Army by 2024.