Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. is encouraging more Filipinos to join the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to address recruitment challenges.
In the oath-taking ceremony of the newly elected Board of Directors of the Reserve Officers Legion of the Philippines (ROLP), Teodoro urged young Filipinos to support and join the AFP.
The AFP’s three major services have a combined strength of almost 350,000 and a reserve force of about 1.2 million.
Teodoro said that the Philippine military must evolve fast because of threats to a “free and open” Asia-Pacific region.
“The worst thing in a kitchen is a dull knife, and a good chef hones the knife every day,” he said.
“We will be increasing the pressure continuously for them to evolve as soon as possible into a multi-threat, multi-theatre operating armed force,” the defense chief said.
Teodoro also highlighted efforts to engage young Filipinos in serving the country, including those who may not be inclined toward or eligible for military service.
These include engaging the Boy Scouts of the Philippines and Girl Scouts of the Philippines in discussions on incorporating ROTC-related courses and training, as well as collaborating with the Department of Education.
Teodoro also reaffirmed the DND’s commitment to a merit-based promotion system for reserve officers, assuring the ROLP that promotions within the Reserve Force would be based solely on competence, with the AFP and its reserve commands eliminating biases in the process.
The ROLP delegation was led by ROLP president and chairperson Col Nehru G. Yurong, alongside senior officers and members.