INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/JOAN BONDOC
MANILA — The Armed Forces of the Philippine called on professionals and students, on Sunday, to join the military’s reserve corps as a way of showing their patriotism and volunteerism for nation-building.
“The AFP regards highly the role that the reservists play in the accomplishment of its mission. They are not simply force multipliers; they are important component and partners in various non-lethal military operations and activities,” the AFP Chief of Staff, Gen. Eduardo Año said in a statement.
His call followed the promotion of 11 senior officers of the AFP Reserve Command (AFPrescom), of which six colonels were promoted to the rank of brigadier general and five lieutenant colonels to colonel.
While reservists do not receive pay, they are still able help the AFP’s missions by contributing their time and talents, according to Año.
“It is admirable that, despite the fact that they receive no compensation and leaves the practice of their professions for the period that they serve the AFP, they remain committed, dependable, and ready to be deployed to serve on call with due notice,” Año added.
“These are the qualities of citizen army that the country needs especially in this stage of our country at the threshold of change. We need professionals who shall put premium on national interest and well-being,” he added,
The AFP public affairs chief, Col. Edgard Arevalo, expressed hope more citizens would become commissioned reserve officers.
“The preservation of the state is an obligation of every citizen. The AFP believes that military reservist programs are good training platforms and opportunities for our citizens, particularly the youth to prepare them in a shared role in nationhood and nation building,” he said.
The AFPrescom, established in 1993, is a military unit in charge of reserve force management, procurement, and organization. The command’s major task is to enlist potential military reservists through different training courses such as Military Orientation Training Course (MOTC) and the Basic Citizens Military Training (BCMT).
Arevalo said the AFP has about 385,000 reservists, of which about 78,00 are “ready reserve” or on constant alert and training.
Reserve officers are commissioned by the AFP leadership after undergoing an officer training program. The army, navy and air force also conduct training courses for reservists.
Reserve officers include lawyers, doctors, nurses, veterinarians, teachers, engineers, other specialists and even government officials such as Sen. Manny Pacquiao and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio.
The AFP supports the Reserve Officers Training Corps in tertiary schools. There are currently about 1.52 million ROTC cadets in the the country. SFM