Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on Tuesday emphasized the crucial role of the military, police, and other uniformed services as frontliners in disaster response efforts.
“The AFP, PNP, BFP, even the PCG and BJMP play a major role in disaster response,” Teodoro said during the 2025 Post-SONA discussion in San Juan City.
“All of these public security officials can transform into first responders,” he said after being asked whether President Marcos’ commitment to upgrade the AFP and PNP also includes their calamity-response capabilities.
Teodoro particularly noted the military’s role in such missions.
“The Armed Forces’ role involves logistics; it will be utilized to carry heavy equipment or items that need to be transported from Point A to Point B. The AFP’s equipment is utilized, and PCG’s,” he said.
The PNP, whose role Teodoro described as granular, as policemen are embedded in communities, is primarily tasked with maintaining peace and order in times of calamities, as there are people who would try to exploit the situation for their benefit.
The defense chief also emphasized that the government is working to identify the specific vulnerabilities of all communities across the archipelago, from volcanic threats to storm surges, flooding, and earthquakes.
He added that the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), which the DND oversees through the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), is coordinating efforts across various government agencies with specialized expertise.
These include the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) for weather and volcanic activity, and the Mines and Geosciences Bureau for rainfall impacts and water flow mapping.
