SIPALAY CITY -- The 81st Marine Battalion Reserve led by Lieutenant Colonel Francis Raymund Martin Yulo yesterday, June 10, staged the Amphibious Raid Exercise Capability Demonstration at Poblacion Beach In Sipalay City as part of their training as Reserve Force of the Philippine Navy-Armed Forces of the Philippines (RFPN-AFP).
The said exercise was attended by Naval Reserve Command Brigadier General Commander Arthur Biyo, Naval Forces Central Commander Commodore Loumer Bernabe, several AFP officials, Sipalay City Mayor Oscar Montilla Jr., and other city officials.
Biya said: "the capability demonstration and community relations outlet was a big success. I am glad that our Marine reservists are as multi-skilled as their counterparts. While it is true that this is a new scenario that is far from the traditional role of our reservists which is mainly on disaster response, we were able to see that our Marine reserves are also capable of conducting amphibious raid operations.”
“This is a significant development that manifests that our reserve forces are now transforming from the non-traditional to mission-related tasks of the Navy. They can really contribute to the accomplishment of our Constitutional mandates not only as a force multiplier during disasters but more importantly as our partner in defending our islands and communities.,” he said.
For his part, Montilla said that the demonstration will surely boost tourists and residents' confidence in the responsiveness to address any attempt to shake peace and order in our community.
On the other hand, Yulo said this exercise showcases the inter-operability of our reservists to the regular force.
The 81st Marine Battalion Reserve was joined by the Philippine National Police (PNP), Bureau of Fire Protection and the Sipalay City Disaster Risk Reduction Management personnel. This was spearheaded by Naval Forces Central and the Naval Reserve Command in Western Visayas."
The combined forces reached more or less 200 reservists and officers.
"In times of calamity and security threat, we will be able to respond as one seamless unit," Yulo said.
This is the first time it was held in Negros Occidental.
"As Sipalay is a booming city insofar as tourism is concerned, we need to communicate our capability as your reservists in the Philippine Navy and AFP and other line agencies of government. We are here to protect our environment and security of our nation," Yulo added.