In the event of an armed attack, the Philippines must be prepared to resist, fight, and hold the line for 20 to 30 days until assistance from allies arrives, said Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr., said Tuesday.

Brawner said the directive issued by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. requires the military to be capable of sustaining defense operations on its own while awaiting aid from treaty allies.

“We should be able to fight and preserve our forces for at least 20 to 30 days. That’s what we are preparing for,” Brawner told reporters in a chance interview at Camp Aguinaldo shortly after the opening of the AFP’s joint DAGIT-PA exercise.

He noted that while the AFP stands ready to defend the nation against armed aggression, current assets remain insufficient to fully secure the entire archipelago.

“Considering the threats we are facing, our capability compared to our neighbors — we still have a lot to improve,” he said.

Brawner added that the AFP is increasingly modernizing and has become “one of the most experienced armed forces around the world,” with new ships from South Korea and FA-50 jet fighters enhancing capabilities during multinational training exercises.

“As of now, we are already a world-class armed force with the capability to defend our country. But resources are still insufficient,” he said, noting the challenge of covering the entire archipelago.

He emphasized that the AFP should act as the initial defender and not rely on the immediate arrival of allied forces.

“Yes — we have to fight first. We must rely on ourselves initially,” Brawner said, describing the country’s posture as self-reliant while still expecting reinforcements under the Mutual Defense Treaty with the United States.

Brawner also said the AFP is revising its Unilateral Defense Plan (UDP) to address modern forms of warfare, including cyber, information, electromagnetic, and space domains.

He explained that the 20–30 day benchmark is a preparation guideline, but the exact timeline depends on the threats the Philippines might face.