Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said he wants to bolster the manpower of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) from 162,000 to 360,000 in response to evolving security challenges and the growing demands of national defense.

Teodoro made the remark during his visit to the Philippine Army’s Special Operations Command (SOCOM, PA) at Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija on Monday, Sept. 15.

“Sa mission area natin na two million square kilometers of maritime area, 7,600 islands, ang troop strength natin na 162,000 versus 120 million Filipino people ay second to the smallest armed forces strength sa ASEAN [Association of Southeast Asian Nations] (In our mission area covering two million square kilometers of maritime territory, 7,600 islands, our troop strength of 162,000 compared to a population of 120 million Filipinos is the second smallest armed forces strength in ASEAN),” he said.

This means that for the total population of 120 million, there are 162,000 soldiers or roughly one soldier for every 740 Filipinos, a thin coverage across the country's 7,600 islands.

“Ang ideal natin is 360,000 pero alam naman nating hindi natin kakayanin. Dudulog kami ng phased-in program na unti-unting iangat ang active duty at hindi lang ang active duty kung hindi ang civilian human resource component (Our ideal number is 360,000 but we know that we cannot achieve that immediately. We will propose a phased-in program to gradually increase not only the active-duty force but also the civilian human resource component),” he added.

Teodoro said the AFP must be adequately staffed to effectively sustain territorial defense operations, counterinsurgency campaigns, and humanitarian assistance and disaster response missions.

“Nagkukulang tayo ng mga pasilidad, installation, mga base sa forward bases. Ang operating troops natin medyo nagkukulang din katulad ng mga lugar ng Palawan, Mindoro, at iba pang area ay manipis ang ating kinakailangan na disposition ng pwersa (We lack facilities, installations, and forward bases. Our operating troops are also somewhat insufficient as in places like Palawan, Mindoro, and other areas where our required force disposition remains thin),” he noted.

The defense chief stressed that additional troop strength would allow the military to address simultaneous security concerns while also enhancing its ability to respond to natural calamities across the country.

Meanwhile, Teodoro also directed the troops to adapt to the fast-changing nature of warfare and align their mission roles with national security needs.

Highlighting the pace of technological change in warfare, Teodoro conveyed President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directives supporting SOCOM’s development plan, stressing that lessons from past combat experiences must be readily applied given the rapidly evolving security environment.

“Our mission roles are expanding while we are easing out of other mission areas that are not part of our core capabilities,” he said.

However, he also stressed that internal security operations (ISO) against rebel groups and local terrorists must be sustained despite the gradual transition to external defense.

He cited a military report he received over the weekend that six soldiers were wounded in action after being hit by an anti-personnel mine planted by the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) fighters.

“I urge you to pursue without respite the enemies of our nation, whether they are the CPP–NPA–NDF or any other terrorists,” he said.