THE PARTNERSHIP BEGAN IN 2016

The Center for Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance began working with the Armed Forces of the Philippines Command and General Staff College in 2016.

The aim was to add a humanitarian assistance and disaster response module to the college curriculum. Senior officers study how military units coordinate with civilian agencies, local governments and international organizations when a disaster overwhelms ordinary systems.

The tenth-anniversary course was held at Camp Aguinaldo from August 4 to 6, 2026. The anniversary describes how long the training relationship has existed. It is not the term of a newly signed treaty or agreement.

THE COURSE IS ABOUT COORDINATION, NOT COMBAT

The training focuses on planning relief operations, sharing information, moving supplies and defining the roles of military and civilian responders.

Disaster operations can involve the AFP, local governments, national agencies, hospitals, humanitarian organizations and foreign partners. Confusion over who is responsible for transport, communications, evacuation or relief distribution can waste time when people need help immediately.

The course therefore concentrates on command relationships and practical coordination. Its purpose is to help officers support a civilian-led disaster response, not to teach battlefield tactics.

MORE THAN 200 OFFICERS JOINED THE ANNIVERSARY COURSE

The August course included 204 senior field-grade officers. Of these, 192 were from the Philippines and 12 were international students from Indonesia, Malaysia, Australia, South Korea, Thailand and Cambodia.

Specialists from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the World Food Programme also contributed to the instruction.

This mix reflects the reality of major disasters. A large typhoon or earthquake can require help from several Philippine agencies and, when requested by the government, international organizations or neighboring countries.

Participation in a classroom, however, does not prove that coordination will work during a real emergency. That can only be tested through exercises, local planning and actual operations.

THE SCENARIO COMBINED A SUPER TYPHOON AND A VOLCANIC ERUPTION

Participants worked through a fictional Category 5 typhoon striking Northern Luzon while Mount Pinatubo erupted at the same time.

The scenario forced planners to divide attention and resources between two emergencies. Roads, airports, communications, medical services and relief supplies could all be affected at once. Decisions in one area could also reduce the people and equipment available somewhere else.

The Philippines has experienced overlapping hazards before. Typhoons, earthquakes, volcanic activity, floods and landslides can occur close together. Training for simultaneous emergencies can reveal gaps that are less obvious in a single-hazard drill.

TRAINING IS USEFUL ONLY IF IT IMPROVES RESPONSE ON THE GROUND

A well-designed course can help officers understand procedures and build professional relationships before a crisis. It cannot fix weak communications, missing equipment, poorly maintained evacuation centers or slow relief distribution by itself.

The public should judge the partnership by measurable improvements: clearer coordination, faster decisions, better logistics, fewer duplicated efforts and more reliable information for affected communities.

The Philippines also needs to retain control of its disaster policy. Foreign assistance should enter only when requested by the Philippine government and should support, not replace, national and local authorities.