AROUND 600 military personnel, reserve forces, and civilian officials concluded a four-day joint inter-agency defense exercise across Surigao City, Dinagat Islands, and adjacent waters on Sunday, Oct. 25.
Executed by the Eastern Mindanao Command (EastMinCom) from Oct. 22 to 25, Exercise Surigao Sentinel 01-2026 evaluated joint operational readiness across land, sea, air, cyber, and information domains as part of the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ (AFP) ongoing shift toward external territorial defense under the Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept (CADC).
The exercise brought together active-duty units from the Philippine Army, Navy, and Air Force alongside local government units and national civilian agencies.
Operational drills included joint command simulations, reservist force integration, search and rescue operations, disaster response scenarios, and community medical-dental missions.
Timed to coincide with the 82nd anniversary of the WWII Battle of Surigao Strait, local officials emphasized that the exercises were focused on deterrence and operational readiness along the country’s eastern seaboard.
“The purpose of this exercise is not to glorify war. It is to prepare for the day we hope will never come,” said Dinagat Islands Gov. Nilo P. Demerey Jr. “It is to make certain that if danger reaches our shores, our soldiers know what to do, our government knows what to do, our communities know what to do, and our people know where to stand.”
Surigao City Mayor Pablo Yves L. Dumlao II stressed that modern territorial defense demands cross-sector cooperation across traditional and emerging domains.
“Today, security goes beyond protecting our land and seas; it also involves safeguarding our airspace, digital systems, and critical infrastructures,” Dumlao said.
Representing AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Antonio G. Nafarrete, Deputy Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Edmundo G. Peralta stated that the exercise successfully validated EastMinCom’s unilateral defense framework and tested multi-agency command structures.
“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.
According to EastMinCom, data and operational gaps identified during the four-day exercise will be used to refine future joint defense planning and reserve mobilization along the eastern frontier.
