MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday reaffirmed his commitment to modernize the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) during the 72nd founding anniversary of the Philippine Marines.

In his speech, Marcos thanked the Marines and assured uniformed personnel of government support under his administration.

“Let me assure you that the government remains firm and committed to enhancing the Marine Corps by means of the AFP modernization,” said Marcos, who once trained under the Marines during the presidency of his father and namesake, former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr.

“We use the resources to provide each of you the support that will help you fulfill your responsibilities, realize your full potential and to achieve success in your mission,” he said.

Marcos underscored the importance of the Marines’ service, noting that the unit has been at the “forefront towards securing our territorial zones.”

“Your bravery has greatly enabled the Filipinos in contributing to nation building efforts and the nation building efforts of this administration, we count once again on that support from the Marine Corps,” he said.

“Hope that you will continue to demonstrate exemplary service and nationalism as you have always shown throughout your history,” he added.

“May you pass on these virtues to the next generation of Marines. We will work harmoniously towards our collective goal of serving the Filipino people, asserting our sovereignty as well as defending the country’s territorial integrity.”

Marcos has been promising to give troops newer equipment whenever he is invited to grace their anniversary celebrations.

Last month, the President assured the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) that his administration would back “efforts and initiatives to modernize” the maritime agency to ensure the “better delivery of service to the nation.”

In July, Marcos told the Philippine Air Force that the government would provide them with “more state-of-the-art fighter planes and armed with more firepower.”

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