CAMP AGUINALDO, Quezon City – Seventy-two delegates from different government and private sectors in the country met with high-ranking military officers and members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Joint Staff in the 17th Executive Course on National Security (ECNS), last week at the General Headquarters conference room.
Headed by Retired Philippine Air Force Colonel Antonio F. Matias, the delegates convened with Team AFP to discuss the military’s role on enhancing National Security and the Internal Peace and Security Plan (IPSP).
Col Isidro L. Purisima, Chief of the Research and Doctrine Division, of the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, J3 delivered the briefing on the roles and functions played by the AFP to enhance national security through the promotion of the IPSP Bayanihan “whole of nation” and “people-centered” principles.
The ECNS which is designed for local executives, government officials, military and police officers, and private sector managers is organized annually by the National Defense College of the Philippines (NDCP) located inside Camp Aguinaldo. It aims to provide the delegates a comprehensive understanding of the theory and practice of national security.
The 17th ECNS is divided into four modules. Module 1 explains the National Security Framework which provides the foundations, basic concepts and principles of national security. Module 2 analyses the various dimensions of national security and how they are interrelated. Module 3 focuses on key issues such as poverty, social reforms and good governance to update and re-tool national security leaders to effectively respond to emerging security challenges. Module 4 engages the participants in an interactive discussion and workshop to synthesize their learning from the course and formulate doable plans.
The ECNS further attempts to examine the Internal Peace and Security Plan (IPSP) and formulate courses of action for implementation within the national security framework. It is also intended to be interactive, analytical, and skill-oriented utilizing a combination of lectures, syndicate discussions and workshops.
Established on August 12, 1963, the NDCP is the government’s premier education institution for training and research on defense and security. For the past 48 years, the college has pursued its vision of becoming a highly reputable and doctrinal center for national defense and security, strategic thinking and leadership.
"In order for us to be fully capable in performing our role in the external defense of the country, we must first see to it that there is peace and stability within our own territory. This is when the participation of other stakeholders such as the 72 delegates of the 17th ECNS comes very helpful in further promoting the ‘whole-of-nation’ and ‘multi-stakeholder’ principles of the IPSP Bayanihan,” AFP Chief of Staff, Gen Jessie D. Dellosa said.
“We are not, and we should not be alone in winning the peace and end insurgency in our country. We have our stakeholders to consider. And that is why, our IPSP is centered in engaging our various stakeholders to do their share, because we believe that peace and stability is everybody’s concern,” Dellosa added.