Defense Secretary Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro Jr. has called for a stronger presence of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Reserve Force in communities along the country’s Pacific-facing areas to help address security gaps and improve disaster response.
Teodoro made the call during the closing ceremony of the 47th AFP National Reservist Week at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City on Saturday, September 12.
The defense chief directed reserve units to give greater attention to the eastern seaboard and other communities connected to the Pacific Ocean, which he described as a significant gap in the country’s defense posture.
“Our vulnerability is in the eastern seaboard. I would like the reserve commands to pursue activities on our Pacific Ocean boundary and all areas leading to the Pacific Ocean. That is a big gap,” Teodoro said.
He said the country’s eastern maritime frontier deserves increased focus because of its vast coverage, extending beyond the West Philippine Sea (WPS) to include the Philippine Rise.
Teodoro also stressed the Philippines’ geographical and cultural ties to the Pacific, saying:
“We must not forget that the Philippines is not only an ASEAN country but a Pacific Island country in ethnicity and in location. Hence, we should not allow foreign presence and foreign activities within our entitlements to precede us in that area,”
Apart from national defense, Teodoro emphasized the important role reservists can play in humanitarian assistance and disaster response, particularly in provinces vulnerable to typhoons, intense rains, landslides, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
He identified natural disasters as the country’s most immediate threat, followed by internal and external security concerns and the possibility of armed conflict.
Teodoro said he has asked the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) to explore a community-based mobile response system that could provide basic emergency services, including firefighting, first aid and the deployment of “village wardens.”
He clarified that the proposed wardens would be non-combatant volunteers and said response teams should ideally come from outside disaster-hit communities to prevent local responders from being overwhelmed by the same emergency.
“Because when a town is hit, or a province, the responders will also become victims. So those who will help must come from another place,” he said.
The defense secretary also pointed to the reserve force’s ability to extend the capabilities of the regular military, particularly in isolated islands and coastal communities where maintaining a permanent military presence can be difficult.
“Any activity is unsustainable if there is inadequate support. So maybe that is a gap where our reservists can fill,” Teodoro said.
He added that the AFP’s continuing modernization should be accompanied by investments in infrastructure to ensure that expanded defense and disaster-response capabilities can be properly sustained.