Nelson Morales

DND seeks bigger 2026 budget; Teodoro pushes AFP reserve reform

Article (news)

Francis Orcio

ABS-CBN News

MANILA — The Department of National Defense (DND) is seeking a P295.2 billion budget for 2026, marking an 8.6 percent increase from this year’s General Appropriations Act of P271.9 billion. Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, who was present at Tuesday’s House Committee on Appropriations hearing, said that 95 percent or about P282.9 billion of the proposed allocation would go to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).Lawmakers raised questions on the sufficiency of the P323.9 million funding earmarked for the AFP reserves covering training, facilities, infrastructure, and equipment.“Currently, we only have 90,000 ready reserves. Kulang ba iyong budget po natin?” asked Rep. Brian Poe.Teodoro admitted the amount was not enough, but stressed that funds must be spent strategically to avoid redundancies.“Kung titingnan natin, [ito ay] kulang. Pero alamin muna natin kung saan talaga ito magagamit. Kasi napakaraming duplication ng reserves. Actually, ang reserve sa ibang bansa, functional replication,” Teodoro explained.EMBED: https://x.com/francisorcio/status/1967873194301526230The defense chief disclosed that he had already instructed the AFP to review its Reserve Command structure, saying it should not only be organized geographically but also functionally to replicate actual General Headquarters duties.“The AFP reserve command should replicate the functions of the GHQ (General Headquarters) and to be ready to support the GHQ functions in times that they need actual reserves to augment the cycle,” he said.Teodoro further pushed for widening opportunities for civilian specialists to join the reserve force, particularly in emerging fields such as cybersecurity. He suggested raising the enlistment and commissioning age from 26 to 35 to attract skilled professionals who otherwise would be excluded.“Meron din po tayong pinagbilin sa chief of staff na kailangan i-increase natin ang enlistment commissioning age sa 35. Kung 26 ang maximum, maraming mawawalang talent na hindi natin makukuha,” Teodoro said.He also underscored the need to adapt to a new generation of Filipinos, many of whom are highly skilled but not necessarily inclined to traditional military service.Poe backed Teodoro’s proposals, noting that the modernization of the reserve force is crucial to strengthen national defense in the face of evolving threats.“If we can give opportunities to young professionals who would like to join the reserves, quality reservists that have specializations, lalo na sa cyber security, kailangan na kailangan po ‘yan,” the lawmaker said.

The Department of National Defense is seeking a P295.2 billion budget for 2026, marking an 8.6 percent increase from this year’s General Appropriations Act of P271.9 billion.

The Department of National Defense is seeking a P295.2 billion budget for 2026, marking an 8.6 percent increase from this year’s General Appropriations Act of P271.9 billion.