The Armed Forces of the Philippines underscored the critical necessity of bolstering its medical and healthcare capabilities during a joint celebration marking two major milestones for military nursing in the country.
Gathered on Friday, September 4, at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City, the military commemorated the 88th anniversary of the AFP Nurse Corps alongside the 61st year of the Military Nurses Association of the Philippines Inc.
The dual occasion operated under the banner, “Leadership and Innovation in Military Nursing: Serving the Nation, Shaping Global Health.”
Standing in for AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Antonio Nafarrete, Deputy Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Edmund Peralta co-presided over the ceremony alongside AFP Chief Nurse Brig. Gen. Ma. Dolores Lim and retired Brig. Gen. Venus Bajarin, President of MNAPI. The leadership collective honored military nurses for their persistent dedication, operational excellence, and selfless service.
During his remarks, Peralta called for the continuous modernization and enhancement of the nursing sector to adapt to dynamic medical demands and mission duties.
“Let us build a Nurse Corps that is competent, resilient, operationally capable, globally engaged, and above all, a Nurse Corps whose hearts remain committed to service,” he said.
Military officials noted that the Nurse Corps remains pivotal in safeguarding troop medical readiness and driving overall defense health sector upgrades.
The joint anniversary served to highlight both the historical contributions of military nurses and the pressing demand for forward-looking leadership and innovation within the service.