Manila, Dec. 19 -- The United States Senate has approved a bill authorizing the allocation of USD2.5 billion in Foreign Military Financing (FMF) grant assistance to the Philippines for 2026 to 2030.

Under the proposed Philippines Enhanced Resilience Act (PERA), which is now up for President Donald Trump's signature, the US will earmark up to USD500 million, annually to help develop the country's capabilities for a span of five fiscal years.

The bill was passed by the US Senate on Dec. 17 as part of fiscal year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and is seen to deepen US-Philippines defense cooperation while strengthen interoperability "to meet growing threats in the Indo-Pacific."

"As the United States and the Philippines fa...