AFP pivots to defense of islands, borders

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan — The Armed Forces of the Philippines is embarking on a strategic pivot towards external defense, focusing on a “comprehensive archipelagic defense concept,” a ranking Navy official said Friday following a Philippine Navy command conference in this city.

Commodore Roy Vincent Trinidad, the Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, said this strategic shift is aimed at broadening the country’s military reach to safeguard areas of national interest in line with constitutional mandates.

He said the Navy is at the forefront of this transition, following orders from higher-ups.

With the AFP’s reorientation towards external defense, the Western Command (Wescom) in Puerto Princesa City and the Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom) in Tarlac have become central in leading these efforts.

“Wescom oversees the West Philippine Sea, while Nolcom manages Bajo de Masinloc, the northern islands of Batanes province and Benham Rise,” Trinidad said during a media briefing following the Navy’s first quarterly command conference of the year held in this city.

Trinidad emphasized Palawan’s crucial role, particularly for Wescom and Navforwest, in managing and supporting the nine island detachments, underscoring the perpetual need for troop upkeep, resupply, and rotation to safeguard national sovereignty and rights.

He noted that continuous efforts are being made to improve maritime patrols in the West Philippine Sea to bolster the nation’s sovereignty and territorial entitlements.

“Here in Palawan, Wescom and, of course, Naval Forces West (Navforwest) are focused on our nine island detachments. Because we have troops there, we need to regularly support them, resupply them, and rotate them. We have a mandate to ensure that our sovereignty and our sovereign rights are not violated,” he said.

“The Philippine Navy is committed to demonstrating a strong stance in protecting our sovereignty in the WPS,” Trinidad said, noting the ongoing development of naval capabilities in support of operational commanders in the region, including Navforwest.

The operational strategy involves a variety of assets, such as Navy ships, Coast Guard vessels, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources boats, local government units’ assets and aircraft, all at the operational commander’s discretion.

Further, infrastructure improvements, particularly on Pag-asa Island, are in progress to boost multifunctional capabilities, not only for military purposes but to ensure the safety and security of the deployed troops and support inter-agency and fisherfolk activities.