PDRRMC, AFP lead two-day simulation drills in Miagao, San Joaquin
By Manny Regalado Alcalde
The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) of the Iloilo Provincial Government, in partnership with the Joint Task Force “Spear” of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the local governments of Miagao and San Joaquin, and various national and local agencies, will spearhead a two-day inter-agency simulation exercise on June 16–17, 2026.
Dubbed the Inter-Agency Territorial Defense Operations Exercise (ITDOEx) “Pag-ugyon 2026”, the activity is designed to test and validate Iloilo’s readiness in managing civilian spillover scenarios arising from a simulated territorial defense situation affecting Panay Island.
Objectives and Scope
The drills will evaluate the effectiveness of the Provincial Community Defense Action, the Emergency Operations Center, Incident Management Teams, response clusters, and partner agencies in handling:
* Large-scale displacement
* Humanitarian assistance
* Public safety and security
* Medical emergencies
* Logistics support
* Inter-agency coordination
* Staged Scenarios
Three major scenarios will be conducted:
* June 16 (Morning): Civilian spillover management in Brgy. Sapa and Kirayan Norte, Miagao.
* June 16 (Afternoon): Missile attack response simulation in Brgy. Igtuba, Miagao.
* June 17: Coastal defense and anti-infiltration operations led by the AFP in Brgys. Igcondao and Cata-an, San Joaquin.
Participation and Safety
PDRRMO Chief Cornelio Salinas announced that around 1,200 individuals will take part in the exercises. He emphasized that the activity is purely a preparedness and capability-building effort and should not cause public alarm.
“This is only an exercise. There is no actual security threat to the Province of Iloilo,” Salinas assured.
Meanwhile, Col. Leroy Daanton, Deputy Brigade Commander of the 301st Brigade, Philippine Army, highlighted that this will be the first ITDOEx in the entire Visayas. He noted that actual military and naval hardware will be deployed, with strict precautionary measures coordinated with LGUs to ensure public safety.
Oversight and Alignment
Representatives from the Office of Civil Defense and other agencies will be present to conduct evaluations throughout the two-day event.
The ITDOEx is aligned with Executive Order No. 111, Series of 2025, issued by Governor Arthur Defensor, Jr., instituting the Provincial Community Defense Action for MoRProGRes Iloilo – Kapayapaan, Kaayusan, at Katatagan Tungo sa Kaunlaran ng Bagong Pilipinas.
