The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has appointed a female officer adept in cyber security as its new mouthpiece, offering a sneak peek of what the organization is trying to focus on in the coming years.
Before a crowd of reporters at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City, Col. Francel Margareth A. Padilla was introduced by AFP Chief, Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. as the first female spokesperson of the military at the sidelines of the AFP 2024 Command Conference on Monday, Jan. 15.
Brawner tagged Padilla as a "cyberwoman" because her area of specialization revolves around cybersecurity and technology.
Padilla replaced Col. Medel Aguilar, who became the voice of the military for one year and six months.
"We’ll still continue with whatever it is that we are actually doing in terms of informing the public appropriately in terms of the thrusts of the AFP," Padilla said.
"In terms of cybersecurity, it is good because it’s sort of a buzz word at this point. It’s really very heavy on technology and my background in cybersecurity would greatly help also in the new, out of the box things that we’re gonna be doing moving forward in terms of the guidance of the President," she added, referring to the directive given by Pres. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to the military reconfigure its approach to various internal and external threats faced by the country.
According to Padilla, the AFP faces around 1,000 hacking attempts per day.
"But we're trying to resolve whatever it is being reported to us. It is detection and prevention for us," she noted.
'Cyberwoman'
With a career spanning 27 years, Padilla has contributed significantly to the realms of study, research, teaching, and administration in the military, and has undertaken diverse roles in technology-driven capacities.
Her career duty includes providing VVIP protection as a former member of the Presidential Security Group under the Presidential Communications Electronics Informations Systems Battalion where she underwent training to be an “ethical hacker.”
By being an ethical hacker, an individual uses his/her skills and knowledge to secure and improve the technology of different organizations.
She also played a pivotal role on the frontlines during the Covid-19 pandemic response when she served as the Information Systems Officer of the Task Force and Head Executive Assistant to the Chief Implementer of the National Action Plan Against Covid-19.
Her expertise extended to commanding the 7th Signal Battalion in the Northern Luzon area of operations, overseeing command, control, communications, and cyber systems. In this role, she spearheaded innovations, embraced changes, and championed modernization within the 7th Infantry Division (7ID) area of operations in Northern Luzon.
Her advocacy dubbed as “Cyber for Peace” Initiative was widely recognized by international entities. It is a Philippine Army initiative which promotes the use of technology among communities for sustainable development through collaboration with different organizations and stakeholders.
For such initiative and other undertakings in the military, Taborlupa bagged several recognitions for the Army. She was hailed as one of ASEAN’s Top 30 Women in Security in 2021, and was included in the Top 10 Women in CyberSecurity Philippines in 2020.
Her most recent recognition came in 2023 when she bested nominees from 62 countries and was adjudged as the "Global Cybersecurity Woman Leader of the Year" by the United Cybersecurity Alliance, a non-profit organization based in Roseville, California, United States which recognizes outstanding women in the cybersecurity landscape.
The Cyber for Peace Initiative was also featured by the International Cyber News magazine for the October Cybersecurity month 2023 issue, making her the first Filipino to be featured in the said magazine.
Padilla is a product of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) "Sanghaya" Class of 2000. She holds a degree in Bachelor of Science in Management, and three master’s degrees: Master in International Development Practice from Monash University in Melbourne, Australia; Masters in Information Systems from University of the Philippines; and Master in Public Management from the Development Academy of the Philippines.
Beyond her military role, Padilla is an advocate for women, peace and security, and gender and development (GAD) where she also serves as a trainer in these domains.
Her diverse portfolio also includes being a development practitioner, a formal mentor, a pistol expert, a judoka, and a mother to two sons.