AFP ends Territorial defense drill off eastern Mindanao seaboard

SAN FRANCISCO, Agusan del Sur — The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Eastern Mindanao Command (EastMinCom) wrapped up a four-day joint inter-agency defense exercise on Sunday across Surigao City, the Dinagat Islands, and key maritime corridors along the country’s eastern seaboard.

Dubbed “Exercise Surigao Sentinel 01-2026,” the Oct. 22–25 maneuvers culminated with the 82nd anniversary of the historic World War II Battle of Surigao Strait. The drill aligned with the military’s Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept (CADC) that tested readiness across land, sea, air, cyber, and information domains.

About 600 personnel from the Philippine Army, Navy, Air Force, and Reserve Force joined civilian agencies and local governments to evaluate operational coordination and territorial defense contingencies amid the AFP’s ongoing transition toward external defense.

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Lt. Gen. Edmundo Peralta, AFP deputy chief of staff, said the drill validated EastMinCom’s unilateral defense posture and streamlined response protocols among regular units, reservists, and civil authorities.

“We see this exercise as a way to validate the unilateral defense plan of Eastern Mindanao Command and strengthen coordination between the AFP, our reserve forces, law enforcement agencies, and local government units,” Peralta said. “It allows us to see how well we can bring our different capabilities together and respond as one when the situation demands it.”

Reservists were heavily mobilized alongside regular troops, focusing on rapid integration and command-and-control procedures during simulated defense scenarios.

Civic and humanitarian operations ran parallel to the combat drills, including search-and-rescue simulations, disaster response drills, and medical and dental missions for residents.

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Dinagat Islands Gov. Nilo Demerey Jr. stressed that the joint exercises aimed to deter aggression through unified preparation rather than promote conflict.

“Today, we are not at war. The purpose of this exercise is not to glorify war. It is to prepare for the day we hope will never come,” Demerey said.

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According to EastMinCom, it will use data and after-action reports from the four-day exercise to identify equipment and coordination gaps and guide future combined arms training along the eastern front./coa