RESERVISTS led by Col. Mikee Romero vowed to expand the role of reservists in national defense, disaster response, and community resilience.
More than 4,500 reservists from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao attended the Armed Forces of the Philippines National Reservist Convention 2025 and the Association of Reservists and Reservist Administrators of the Philippines Inc. second General Membership Conference recently.
An additional 48,000 reservists nationwide participated virtually via Zoom, making it one of the largest reservist assemblies in Philippine history.
The convention, with the theme “Adapting to an Evolving Security Environment: Reservists at the Forefront of Cooperative Defense,” was led by ARRAPI Chairman Col. Michael “Mikee” Romero and AFP OJ9 chief Major Gen. Gerold G. Gagan, with Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. as guest of honor.
Jointly hosted by ARRAPI and the Armed Forces of the Philippines through the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Reserve Force Development (OJ9), the event discussed the expanding role of reservists in national defense, disaster response, and community resilience.
“There are moments in our nation’s history when ordinary Filipinos rise to do extraordinary things – when disasters strike and communities need help,” Romero said in a statement Tuesday.
“In those moments, help arrives not with fanfare, but with boots on the ground and hearts ready to serve. From Batanes to Sulu, our reservists stand ready to protect, respond, and help our people recover.”
Gagan said the convention in Makati City was historic and record-breaking. “The strong physical and virtual turnout reflect the growing professionalism and readiness of the reserve force and the scale of participation reaffirms the reservists’ role as a critical pillar of national defense, disaster response, and community resilience.”
Also present in the convention were the United States National Guard, led by the Adjutant General of Hawaii, Major Gen. Philip Mallory, and the Adjutant General of Guam, accompanied by 30 US National Guard members. Their participating underscored strong defense cooperation and interoperability.
The event concluded with a renewed call for unity, readiness, and active citizen participation, reaffirming the unwavering commitment of Filipino reservists to serve the nation whenever and wherever they are needed.