Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief General Romeo Brawner Jr. on Tuesday urged Filipino troops stationed at the northern frontier to prepare plans in case of a Taiwan invasion, as China began military drills in “multiple directions” around Taipei.

Brawner, speaking during the anniversary of the Northern Luzon Command (NOLCOM), touted the northern frontier troops for their “exceptional role in territorial defense,” emphasizing how the command has become a “formidable shield against external threats.”

“NOLCOM is our frontliner here in the Northern Hemisphere. And as we saw a while ago in their shift to territorial defense, they have gone a long, long way already,” Brawner told troops.

Acknowledging NOLCOM’s remarkable progress, Brawner issued a bold challenge to the command, urging them not to rest on their laurels.

“But let me give you this challenge, this further challenge. Do not be content with securing just the Northern Hemisphere up to Mavulis Island. Start planning for actions in case there is an invasion of Taiwan,” he said.

The AFP chief noted that the strategic military environment is constantly evolving. Thus, troops must be prepared for any eventuality and broaden their sphere of operations.

“Because if something happens to Taiwan, inevitably we will be involved. There are 250,000 OFWs working in Taiwan and we will have to rescue them. And it will be the task of Northern Luzon Command to be at the front line of that operation,” he said.

Brawner said the rigorous military exercises and readiness assessments undertaken by the AFP not only affirm the country’s capabilities “but also strengthen resolve” to protect the Philippines’ sovereignty.

This month, the AFP will begin conducting various military drills as part of the annual Balikatan Exercise with the United States, with participation from other allied nations.

"This is the 40th iteration of the Balikatan exercises and most of the exercises will be conducted here in the area, the joint operational area of NOLCOM," Brawner said, as he highlighted the military’s simulation of a “full-battle test.”

“Balikatan exercise is now the full battle test. We are now testing all of the the plans, all of the doctrines, all of the procedures that we have developed in the past years, and this year we are going to test them. It's very important that we prepare for any eventuality,” Brawner stressed.

On Tuesday, the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theater Command said it had launched joint exercises involving its army, navy, air force, and rocket force around the island of Taiwan.

PLA Eastern Theater Command Senior Colonel Shi Yi said military drills “focus on sea-air combat-readiness patrols, joint seizure of comprehensive superiority, assault on maritime and ground targets, and blockade on key areas and sea lanes,” which aim to test the joint operational capabilities of its troops.

“It is a stern warning and forceful deterrence against ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist forces, and it is a legitimate and necessary action to safeguard China's sovereignty and national unity,” Shi said.

In recent years, China has increased the deployment of fighter jets and naval vessels around Taiwan to assert its claim of sovereignty, a claim that Taipei strongly rejects.

Brawner sees the Philippine military’s next “big conflict” as one that “we will be experiencing will not be against our own people.”

“So we have to prepare for that, and when I talk about warfare, we are already at war. I am not referring to the kinetic warfare that we see between Ukraine and Russia or between Israel and Hamas,” he said.

“But we are already experiencing cyber warfare, information warfare, cognitive warfare, political warfare,” he added.

Brawner warned troops that communists are already conducting united front work in the country.

“Dapat aware tayo, tayo mga sundalo, aware tayo ano. Hindi po kathang-isip ‘yun na pinapasukan na nila. They're already infiltrating our institutions, our schools, our businesses, our churches, even our ranks in the military. So kailangan nating magmatyag,” he said.

(We need to be aware, we soldiers, we need to be aware of this. It's not just imagination; they are already infiltrating our institutions, our schools, our businesses, our churches, and even our ranks in the military. So we need to stay vigilant)

In a world where the security landscape is perpetually changing, Brawner emphasized that the military’s strategic foresight would ensure that the country will “always be one step ahead.”