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Monday, October 23, 2017
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THE Armed Forces of the Philippine (AFP) showed dogged determination in defeating the terrorists that invaded Marawi City. But crushing the terrorists was just half of the battle. The next phase is the rebuilding of Marawi and this may take some time. Looking at photos and video footages of the Islamic city, it’s as if 10 super typhoons Yolandas plowed it to the ground.
There is a need to ensure that our Armed Forces is resilient as an institution so that it does not only respond to security emergencies but also help build resilient communities. The AFP must have the ability to respond to non-traditional forms of threats. For example, our changing climate has massive national security implications on the AFP’s operations, installations, personnel, and its missions.
As first responders in times of disasters, the AFP has to be a resilient institution — ready and capable to perform its role and more, such as helping build resilient communities. We cannot count on the AFP to be effective in its mission unless it is, on its own, a resilient institution.
Undersecretary Ricardo Jalad, executive director of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), admitted that even with the enactment of the NDRRM Law, DRR has not been fully mainstreamed in the operations of the AFP because the focus remains on response-capability building. He said that for DRR and climate change adaptation and mitigation to be mainstreamed in the AFP, these should be incorporated in the Defense Planning Guidance, which is the basis of the AFP in the programming of its budget.
There is much to be done in making AFP’s properties and equipment resilient. Adaptation measures must be in order in military camps, within their communities, and in their own homes. Examples of these include multi-hazard early warning systems; putting up rainwater harvesters, seed banks, and rooftop gardens; building roadside ditches and seawalls; reforesting mangroves; utilizing indigenous knowledge on disaster resilience; and undertaking regular drills for disaster preparedness.
Our military must be resilient because they themselves must survive to save lives; they cannot be effective first responders if they themselves are victims.
AFP’s disaster resilience as an institution needs to be guaranteed so that it may effectively discharge its expanded roles in the face of non-traditional threats.
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