Marcos to military: Ensure airworthiness of PAF assets

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. directed the Philippine military on Friday to conduct regular checkups on air assets to ensure their airworthiness.
 
Marcos witnessed the recommissioning of the C-130T aircraft with tail numbers 5011 and 5040 at the Clark Air Base in Mabalacat City, Pampanga. These two units were acquired by the Philippines from the United States under the Excess Defense Articles program in 2016.
 
According to Marcos, maintenance and repair are key aspects of operations, noting that they are also important decision points in the acquisition of additional assets.
 
"I therefore direct the Philippine Air Force and the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) to continue developing your capabilities for conducting maintenance and repair to keep all our military assets ready to go," Marcos said in his speech.
 
"Conduct routine checkups and regular engineering services for added safety requirements and provide extensive training to those who will be flying and using it," he added.
 
Airworthiness is important to ensure the assets' effectiveness and guarantee the safety of users, Marcos said.
 
"Should any unfortunate events happen, we must be able to assess and be able to respond quickly," Marcos said.
 
"We cannot afford to waste any time in the mission to save lives, therefore the existence of these air assets is crucial to ensuring that information, aid, and responders are made available to effectively help affected areas," he added.
 
Marcos also urged the PAF to remain steadfast in their duties, especially in their crucial role as the country's first line of defense against external security threats.
 
"I enjoin you with optimism as we look forward to seeing how our Philippine Air Force can help our nation soar to even greater heights and achieve higher goals, all in the service of our republic," Marcos said.
 
The C-130T was manufactured by the Lockheed Martin Corporation, an American aerospace, arms, defense, information security, and technology corporation. —VBL, GMA Integrated News