“Mas mabuti ’yong nakahanda tayo”: Mayor Dagadag of Tanudan urges other Kalinga mayors to join Army Reserve Force

TABUK CITY, Kalinga — Tanudan Mayor Jaedicke Rhoss Dagadag has urged fellow local chief executives in Kalinga to join the Philippine Army Reserve Force, saying local officials should also be prepared to serve the country in times of conflict and national emergencies.

“Kasi sa reservist kami eh. Sa mga ibang mayors natin sumali naman kayo (reservist). Kasi kung titignan natin, para talagang hindi malayo na magkagira eh, mas mabuti yong nakahanda tayo,” Dagadag said.

He made the appeal during the Provincial Government of Kalinga’s Kapehan sa Kapitolyo on November 9, where Major General Gulliver L. Señires, commander of the Philippine Army’s 5th Infantry (STAR) Division, discussed the role of reservists in national defense and emergency response.

Dagadag became a full-fledged reservist in February 2025 after completing the required processes and training.

At the time, he said he joined the Reserve Force to extend his public service beyond Tanudan and Kalinga, particularly by helping other communities during crises and disasters.

“Kayat tayo nga agserbi haan lang nga ditoy ili tayo, ngem agserbi iti entero nga Pilipinas karkaru nu, haan tayo met ikarkararag, nu adda iti crisis, disasters, ken daduma pay nga pagkailanganan da kadatayo,” he said in an earlier statement reported by Guru Press Cordillera.

During the meeting, Señires explained that reservists are assigned different roles depending on their training and the security requirements of their respective areas. These may include combat, logistics and other support functions.

He cited Kalinga as an example, saying that in case of armed hostilities in the province, local reservists may be deployed alongside regular military forces as combatants.

Reservists from Isabela, Quirino, Cagayan and Nueva Vizcaya, meanwhile, may be assigned to geographic defense and logistics support.

“The reserve will have their different role. Some of them will be combatants, some of them will be sustainers, some of them will be doing logistics. So depende po sa kanilang geographic location kung ano po ang gagampanan nila,” Señires said.

Señires also discussed how tensions in the West Philippine Sea could affect inland communities such as Kalinga, particularly through disruptions in fish supplies and the livelihoods dependent on them.

Dagadag said joining the Reserve Force allows him to extend his service beyond his locality while encouraging fellow mayors to prepare for possible national security threats and emergencies.