ARRAPI urges AFP: Mobilize ‘Total Defense Force’ amid tensions

A leading association of military reservists is calling for the immediate mobilization and integration of citizen soldiers into the Philippine armed forces, citing a need to bolster territorial defense amid rising regional and global security threats.

The Association of Reservists and Reservist Administrators of the Philippines Inc. (ARRAPI) said the country must move toward a “Total Defense Strategy.”

The group is led by chairman and Air Force reservist Col. Michael L. Romero and president LTC Vlad Mata of the Marine Corps reserve.

The Philippines currently maintains about 180,000 active-duty personnel in the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

ARRAPI leadership argued that by activating Ready Reserve and Standby Reserve components, the nation could scale its defense capabilities to a force of 1 million personnel.

The group stated that territorial defense must be elevated as a national security priority to protect sovereignty and secure the country's exclusive economic zone.

According to ARRAPI, deterring external aggression requires a scalable and resilient force structure that can respond to evolving maritime challenges.

The proposal stresses that the Reserve Force should no longer be treated as a secondary unit but as an operational extension of the regular military. To achieve this, the group is advocating for standardized training, joint interoperability exercises, and clear command-and-control alignment between regular and reserve units.

The plan also calls for institutionalized protocols for immediate mobilization and regular joint exercises focused specifically on coastal defense.

Beyond traditional combat roles, the group is pushing for "technical mirroring," where civilian experts in cyber defense, engineering, logistics and medicine are integrated into specialized reserve units.

ARRAPI officials believe that leveraging civilian professionals ensures operational continuity and strengthens the nation’s surge capacity during national emergencies.

The call for expansion comes as the Philippines faces persistent tensions in the West Philippine Sea and watches unfolding conflicts abroad. ARRAPI maintains that integrating more reservists is not merely a policy initiative but a strategic necessity to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity.