Three months after the signing, the Sentinel BioTech team touched down at NAIA International Airport.
It was a quiet arrival. No media. No fanfare. Just a chartered flight, a convoy of waiting SUVs, and a handful of military escorts cleared in advance by both the U.S. and Philippine governments.
Inside one of the lead vehicles, Matthew Borja stared out the window as the city passed by. The same streets. The same air. But everything felt different now.
He had just closed the biggest defense contract in modern history.
Angel sat beside him, typing out a list of follow-ups on her tablet. She didn't look up when she spoke. "We've got a security briefing with the DND tomorrow. They want to discuss supply chain visibility and local integration."
Matthew nodded. "Any pushback?"
"Not yet," she replied. "But there will be. The moment this goes public, people are going to ask why the Philippines is the base of operations for a tech this powerful."