ARMED Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff General Romeo Brawner Jr. enumerated on Monday, March 11, 2024, the preparations Filipinos may undertake in order to be able to defend the country against a foreign enemy.
In a statement, Brawner said he was elated by the result of an Octa Research survey where 77 percent of adult Filipinos expressed willingness to fight for the country’s sovereignty.
“While the AFP is modernizing and continuously preparing to address any threat, whether internal or external, it is also important that the Filipino citizens prepare themselves,” he said.
Brawner said Filipinos can do as follows:
* Undergoing the Reserve Officer Training Course, or join the Reserve Corps in order to be trained in military tactics.
* Make yourself competent in their professions that may become useful or even vital in case of emergencies, such as in the medical field or in engineering.
* Individuals or organizations may also contribute resources to the country’s overall defensive campaign, such as ships, airplanes, etc.
* Inform friends around the world and echo the call against the illegal, coercive, aggressive and deceptive tactics that other countries are doing against the Philippines, particularly in the West Philippine Sea.
“The ways by which we can help defend our country, other than fighting, are only bounded by our imagination. Let us take the result of the survey as a call to action and prepare for when we are called upon by the government to defend the State,” Brawner added.
A total of 1,200 male and female Filipino respondents participated in the Octa survey, which was conducted from December 10 to 14, 2023.
The survey was conducted amid the heightened activities of China in the West Philippine Sea, which it claimed to be included in their territorial waters.
The Philippines maintained sovereignty in the area as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has repeatedly noted that it will not give up even a square inch of the country’s territory.
Last week, a collision between a Chinese and Philippine vessel occurred off the disputed territory as China conducted dangerous maneuvers and blockade to prevent a rotation and resupply mission of the AFP to the BRP Sierra Madre, which was deliberately grounded by the Philippine government off Ayungin Shoal. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)