COVID-19 in the Philippines: Potential implications in modernizing the Armed Forces of the Philippines

Volume 1 | Issue 4 | May 2020

Sherwin E. Ona and Rodolfo A. Tor

The fourth issue of our policy brief, prepared by Dr. Sherwin E. Ona and Dr. Rodolfo A. Tor, underscores the need for the Philippines to reexamine its national security agenda and review the new AFP modernization program (AFPMP) in line with its current experiences related to the COVID 19 pandemic and the “new normal.” This entails a reevaluation of the current AFP philosophy on military operations other than war (MOOTW), its impact on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) readiness, and its obvious link to chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) defense principles.