A Nation of Peace or a Cog in Global Conflict?

The Philippines is set to build one of the largest U.S. ammunition and storage facilities in Subic Bay Freeport Zone in Zambales province, located in western Luzon. Subic Bay, once a major U.S. naval base, holds historical and strategic significance. (Note: At the time of writing, the specifics of the said plant are not available.)

The project, a U.S. government-sponsored foreign direct investment, was affirmed during Philippine President Marcos Jr.’s meeting with U.S. President Trump on 23 July, as part of the former’s three-day official state visit.

Timeline in brief: According to a report by the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP), a discussion took place on 16 June 2025, during which the U.S. House Committee on Appropriations directed the Department of Defense (DOD), the Department of State, and the International Development Finance Corporation (IDFC) to assess the feasibility of establishing a joint ammunition production and storage facility in Subic Bay. Then, on 21 July, just a little over a month later, representatives from the Philippine government had already joined discussions on the factory’s establishment, noting that some businesses would be participating as part of a consortium. According to Defense Secretary Gibo Teodoro Jr, the project is a U.S. government-sponsored foreign direct investment.

It was reported that the plant is part of the Philippines’ Self-Reliant Defense Posture (SRDP), intended to reinforce the Philippines’ military capabilities.

The Philippines already has its own ammunition facility: the Government Arsenal (GA), situated on a 370-hectare industrial estate in Limay, Bataan, near Subic. Operating under the Department of National Defense (DND), the GA is legally mandated to produce and supply military arms and ammunition for the Philippine government.

Subic Bay is located in Region III (Central Luzon), which, according to the latest data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), has a population of over 12.4 million.The region is also home to various Indigenous cultural groups, including the Dumagat, Aeta (or Ita), Igorot, Ilongot, Isinai, Bugkalot, and Zambales peoples. Zambales, in particular, hosts an active mining industry and is among 12 areas in Region III recognized for their significant mineral potential.

The Philippines is among the few countries endowed with metals, non-metals, and mineral resources. Its mountains, plains, coasts, and even shorelines hold deposits of both metallic and non-metallic minerals. The country is globally recognized for its abundant reserves of gold, copper, nickel, iron, and chromite. It also contains significant quantities of coal, cobalt, gypsum, silver, and sulfur. Zambales alone can be a source of chromite ore, nickel, copper, iron, silver, gold, and more.

In the crosshairs of power and peril

The Subic Bay facility, which is planned to serve as an assembly site for drones and missiles, will also serve as a storage hub for ammunition and related materials such as nitrocellulose, nitroglycerin, and acid—key ingredients used in explosives and ammunition.

Both nitrocellulose and nitroglycerin pose health risks upon exposure, whether through inhalation or skin contact. They are flammable, chemically reactive, and present explosion hazards.

Meanwhile, the acids are highly corrosive and can pose serious health risks.

Moreover, ammunition production requires the use of precious metals—resources the Philippines happens to have in abundance.

The Philippines is among the few countries endowed with metals, non-metals, and mineral resources. Its mountains, plains, coasts, and even shorelines hold deposits of both metallic and non-metallic minerals. The country is globally recognized for its abundant reserves of gold, copper, nickel, iron, and chromite. It also contains significant quantities of coal, cobalt, gypsum, silver, and sulfur. Zambales alone can be a source of chromite ore, nickel, copper, iron, silver, gold, and more.

Massive mining activities in Zambales have been claimed to cause flooding, deforestation, and adverse impacts on agricultural livelihoods, as well as contamination of water bodies, harming the health of residents, farm animals, and the surrounding environment. Incidentally, the Philippines also allows 100% foreign ownership of large-scale mining operations.

I also think about the displacement—not only of residents affected by the mining activities, but also of Indigenous groups.

With the establishment of a new ammunition facility and the encouragement of investments in industries that perpetuate violence, hatred, or inequality, where is the Philippines headed? What exactly are we thinking? Are we going to allow ourselves to become a link in the chain of global conflicts? Are we going to allow ourselves to go down the path of sharing in the karma of nations that propagate atrocities—when our country is known to be warm, caring, and God-fearing?

Nation of heroes & saints

A God-fearing nation, where more than 86% of the population are Roman Catholics. We revere the Blessed Mother as our way to Jesus, who is the way to God the Father.

We have Filipino saints and martyrs in the representation of St. Lorenzo Ruiz, St. Pedro Calunsod; Blessed Jose Maria de Manila; Venerables such as Mother Ignacia del Espiritu Santo, Founder of the Religious of the Virgin Mary; Mother Consuelo Barcelo, Cofounder of the Augustinian Sisters of Our Lady of Consolation; Lucena Bishop Alfredo María Obviar, Founder of the Missionary Catechists of Saint Thérèse of the Infant Jesus; Mother María Beatriz del Rosario de Arroyo, Founder of the Dominican Sisters of Molo, and more; and martyrs including the Jesuit Martyrs in Micronesia, De La Salle Martyrs of 1945, Vincentian Martyrs of the Philippines, and Religious Martyrs of Santo Tomas.

And the Philippines has been blessed with more privileges.

According to the Catholic News Agency (CNA), the Philippines made history on 27 April 2025 by becoming the first nation in the world to consecrate itself entirely to Jesus through the Divine Mercy.

Earlier, on 13 May 2020, the country was consecrated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, coinciding with the 103rd anniversary of the apparition of Our Lady of Fatima. According to reports, Archdiocese of Davao’s Archbishop Romulo G. Valles, who was also at the time the president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), said that the 2020 consecration aimed to “…implore the grace and mercy of the Lord to end the pandemic … and to seek the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary for the healing and recovery of all those who are infected, and for strength and protection of the front-liners and our fellow citizens.”

The apparition of Our Lady of Fatima drew attention to the evils of war and the urgent need to restore peace. While the message specifically called for the conversion of Russia to prevent future wars, the deeper warning speaks to a global pattern—one of hatred, vindictiveness, injustice, and violence—perpetuated by nations that assert their dominance for selfish gain.

Likewise, in 2013, according to the Vatican News, the Philippine bishops also consecrated the nation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. That year’s consecration took place during the Year of Faith, which marked the first of nine years of preparation for the celebration of the 5th centenary of the arrival of the Gospel in the Philippines—or the 5th centenary of the arrival of Christianity in the country.

Our Blessed Mother has always called for peace and obedience to God’s will.

With our policies leaning towards supporting conflicts and aggressions, are we honoring our consecration? Are we going to allow ourselves to become a bastion of weapons that kill and spread brutality, rather than goodwill, compassion, and peace, as we vowed to promote through our consecration to the Blessed Mother and the Divine Mercy?

We can be a nation of greatness without losing our moral compass, and most importantly, without breaking our pledge to be instruments of mercy in a chaotic world. We can once again be a country of heroes—not of war, but of peace.

Let that sink in. Meanwhile, as always, stay brave and stay grounded!

Additional readings

• https://www.usgs.gov/publications/chromite-deposits-north-central-zambales-range-luzon-philippines
• https://davaotoday.com/todays-news-to-go/2-day-probe-on-effects-of-large-scale-mining-in-zambales-kick-off/
• https://industry.gov.ph/industry/iron-and-steel/
• https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/money/economy/952665/ph-needs-to-grow-7-yearly-to-hit-high-income-status-by-2050-world-bank/story/
• https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP88T00528R000100010046-1.pdf
• https://www.investigate-europe.eu/posts/arming-the-world-rheinmetalls-secretive-ammunition-factory-program

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