MANILA, Philippines –
Over 2,000 Armed Forces of the Philippines Reservists, active-duty leaders, and members of the Guam and Hawaii National Guard State Partnership Programs celebrated the inaugural General Assembly of the Association of Reservists and Reservist Administrators of the Philippines Inc. (ARRAPI).
Modeled after the National Guard Association of the United States, the newly formed organization seeks to capitalize on over 1.6 million AFP reservists taking a more active role in domestic responses and integrating with the regular forces. ARRAPI also aims to empower reservists through strategic initiatives such as enhanced recruitment and capabilities development.
General Romeo S. Brawner Jr., Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff, emphasized the AFP’s ongoing implementation of the Reserve Force Development Strategy. “Our Reservists are essential components of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, providing crucial support during emergencies and significantly contributing to community development, ensuring we are prepared to confront any challenges to our national sovereignty,” Brawner stated in his remarks.
Maj. Gen. Joel Nacnac, Deputy Chief of Staff for Reservist and Retiree Affairs, J9, got the idea for a Reserve Component organization when he was invited to a NGAUS event in 2023, according to Capt. Duane Sablan, Guam Guard State Partnership Program Coordinator.
“Maj. Gen. Nacnac and the OJ9 have seen how integral the Guard and Reserve forces of the U.S. are to the active component. They see how we as Citizen Soldiers bring a diverse wealth of knowledge and skills to the fight, and how we are a force multiplier. After we went to NGAUS, he really became the main driver to build a similar platform for the AFP,” said Sablan.
Col. John Udani and Col. Manny Duenas, SPP Directors from the Hawaii and Guam National Guards, respectively, share the partnership with the AFP and were both present at the conference.
“I’d like to congratulate our partners in the AFP for launching their ARRAPI organization,” said Duenas.” It’s a great achievement not only for 1.6 million AFP Reservists, but for improved disaster response and national defense integration overall. I’d also like to thank our partners in the Hawaii Guard for their continued support. This is just the latest win in a successful 20-year State Partnership, and we look forward to many more.”