It is far more effective, faster, and cheaper to have land based air craft to enforce your claims than it is to try to match others with a counter naval force. A program which usually takes a much longer time to build, train, and deploy than working up a few squadrons of fighter boomers. If I have the priorities wrong I am sorry.
No, in my oppinion there's nothing wrong for Phillippines to build the Fighter force for immediate Air deterence. What I'm getting at is, if PAF wants to build F-16 sq, then they have to prepared build the supporting infrastructures first (hard-soft skill) in order to support the F-16 in sustain capability. What I don't agree if the amount of Investment being talked is only for getting the F-16 sq and not supporting facilities. In my oppinion, PAF need to create 'pool' of domestic pilot development, thus Investing also in LIFT.
That's why, in my other posts I stated that PAF need to invest more than double of amount that needed to upgraded 12 F-16. If Indonesia got the deal of USD 750 mio to upgrade 24 F-16, then PAF need 'at least' same amount of fund (and not half of that) to build and operate 12 F-16 sq. Why ? because PAF due to the neglect that they left for nearly a decade of Fast jests operation, then they have to build the supporting infrastructure from the scratch (which include LIFT fighters). This also in the assumption PAF can get bargain deal LIFT.
PAF can train your first batch of F-16 pilots and ground crew overseas, but PAF need to build that capabilities locally in order to maintain steady flow/pool of skill pilots and ground crew. That's why I said building the soft skill is very expensive, and if you neglect that part, it will cost you double or more if you want to come back to the game.