MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he planned to tap the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) to improve the country's security and economy.

Marcos said he met with the PhilSA on Tuesday afternoon where the agency outlined its plans.

“Ako ay naniniwala na sa pamamagitan ng mga datos at siyensya na mayroon sila, mas mapapaigting natin ang ating pambansang seguridad, magíng ang kahandaan sa mga kalamidad at sa pagpapa-unlad ng ating ekonomiya,” he said in a tweet.

(I believe that with the data and science they have, we can boost national security, as well as calamity preparedness and the improvement of our economy.)

Marcos did not give further details of how the PhilSA could help the country’s security and economy.

The PhilSA was created under Republic Act No. 11363, or the Philippine Space Act. The agency is under the Office of the President.

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RA 11363 states that there will be a Philippine Space Policy that will embody the country’s goal of “becoming a space-capable and space-faring nation within the next decade.”

The policy will have 6 development areas, namely national security and development, hazard management and climate studies, space research and development, space industry capacity-building, space education and awareness, and international cooperation.

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