MindanaoToday.com | AFP beefing up its reserve force units
By: Uriel Quilinguing
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – At least 3,000 reservists in Northern Mindanao within the area of responsibility of Philippine Army’s 4th Infantry “Diamond” Division, Armed Forces of the Philippines (4th ID PA-AFP) can be mobilized if necessary, a top military official said.
They compose the three battalions of reservists in Bukidnon, Lanao del Norte, and Misamis Oriental including Camiguin under the 10th Regional Community Defense Group, Reserve Command (10th RCDG-RESCOM) based at Camp Edilberto Evangelista, Barangay Patag, this city.
“The current effort of the 4th ID is to strengthen our reserve force,” Major General Jose Maria Cuerpo II, the commanding officer of the 4th ID, said in a forum the Presidential Communications Office and the Philippine Information Agency organized on Tuesday, August 12, 2024.
Cuerpo said there have been several incidents worldwide that clearly show reasons why the need to strengthen the country’s reserve force units, though he did not specifically cite the contentious claims over the West Philippine Sea as the country’s external threat.
This, even as he earlier reported of the dwindling number of New People’s Army combatants due to 4th ID’s relentless campaign, thus resulting to a 74-percent reduction of internal security threat of the communist terrorist group (CTG) since 2022.
He said that the 4ID, in coordination with the AFP general headquarters, have been hosting joint military exercises to engage leaders of the reserve force units in training activities to “demonstrate their commitment to excellence and readiness.”
MILITARY EXERCISES
Cuerpo said he personally observed the conduct of a Signal Operations and Leadership Development Training inside the 4th ID camp, July 10-14, 2024, that was participated in by 40 regular, reservist, and non-commissioned officers.
The five-day bilateral military exercise was hosted by the 10th RCDG-RESCOM under the State Partnership Program between the army national guards of Guam and Hawai’i of the United States of America and the AFP.
He said joint military exercises for reservists, involving all the entire AFP organization, were also held at Camp Kibaritan in Kalilangan, Bukidnon and more of these have already been set.
The 4th ID commanding general admitted the number of active members of the AFP is not enough to address both internal and external threats, hence the current and past calls for volunteers to become members of the reserve force.
CITIZEN SOLDIERS
Under the Citizen Armed Forces of the Philippines Reservist Act of 1991 (Republic Act No. 7077), all able-bodied Filipinos would compose the Citizen Armed Force who are organized, trained, developed, and maintained to ensure their readiness to immediately respond to the call of service.
Section 12 of R.A. No. 7077 categorizes citizen soldiers or AFP reservists based on age: 1. 18 to 35; 2. 36 to 51; and 3. Over 51 years old. They are also classified, under Section 12, by operational readiness for immediate deployment: 1. Ready Reserve, 2. Standby Reserve, and 3. Retired Reserve.
Active members of the AFP and Philippine National Police, those residing outside the country, physically and mentally unfit, convicted of crimes involving moral turpitude, and those with other valid reasons, are exempted from rendering military service.
Cuerpo said that after retirement he will automatically be part of the reserve force, joining those under the Retired Reserve classification.
REVITALIZED ROTC
On August 7, this year, the revitalization of the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) program took a significant step with the opening ceremony of the Core Group for ROTC Administrators Training at the 4ID Officers Club.
Colonel Luciano Caiman Jr., group commander of the 10th RCDG led the activity aimed at building “a robust pool of reservists for the AFP while instilling discipline and patriotism in the Filipino youth.”
Major General Josel Nacnac, deputy chief of staff for reservist and retiree affairs, who was guest of honor and speaker, assured the participants of the AFP’s ongoing commitment to the ROTC program, cognizant of the importance of the training in fostering effective leadership among administrators.
Participants include ROTC administrators from the Eastern Mindanao Command, representatives from the 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 15th, and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM RCDGs), the 8th Airforce Reserve Center (ARCEN) and the Naval Reserve Command Center (NRCEN).
“The Philippines relies on its reservists to provide support and reinforcement to the regular armed forces, especially during times of crisis and national emergencies. Your contributions are indispensable in ensuring our readiness extends beyond barracks and training grounds,” Cuerpo said in an earlier message that was read on his behalf in a commanders and staff forum on August 3, this year.
###