As Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. recently ordered the deployment of more troops to Mavulis Island, Army Lt. Gen. Roy Galido also encouraged the civilians to join the military reserve force and help defend the northernmost Island of the country.

"The instruction of the SND (Secretary of National Defense) to be able to deploy forces is part of the strategic, archipelagic defense posture. The defense of our country will not only involve the ... troops but also our reservists," Galido told the media in Taguig City on Thursday.

"We are encouraging our fellow Filipinos to volunteer... and be reservists. We don't need to deploy them because they are already residents in the area. The more we get reservists the better for our country," he added.

Galido said aside from the Philippine Marine troops deployed in Mavulis, the Philippine Army reservists are also there to contribute in the defense of the country's northernmost territory.

"In areas that there are inter-Island movement we use forces with inter-Island capabilities just like the Marines that is why in Mavuli there are Marine contingent there because they have the platform to go to Islands but more importantly we have Army reservist in that area contributing to the defense," he said.

As the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) shifts its focus from internal security to external defense of our country, Galido said the Philippine Army is investing heavily on training that focuses on addressing external threats.

"We have realized that indeed the army was so busy with internal threat and more of our capability focused on defeating internal threat ... thus we are investing heavily in training, training for a scenario of an external threat that is why we have the exercise Katihan," he said.

Galido said “Katihan” is the first-ever Combined Arms Training Exercise (CATEX) of the Philippine Army which bolsters its shift to territorial defense operations.

The exercise will involve around 4,000 to 5,000 troops coming from Army units in different areas of Visayas and Mindanao.

Galido said the culmination of CATEX “Katihan” and the 127th Philippine Army Day on March 22, 2024 in Camp O’Donnell, Capas, Tarlac will be graced by President and Commander-in-Chief Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. Robina Asido/DMS