Photo: Nick Aspinwall/Al Jazeera. Retrieved from Aljazeera.com
Amid the rising tensions, the Philippine military is bolstering its defence of Batanes, the northern island province that includes Itbayat. It has also called on Ivatans, the Indigenous people of Itbayat, to join the country’s reserve forces.
“We are ready to fight,” said Cyrus Malupa, Eleuterio’s son. “We can help our community and our country. That is our main objective.”
In March, 119 Batanes residents joined the Navy reserve forces. About two-thirds are from Itbayat. Cyrus, 60, is the oldest.
“I worried I couldn’t make it through training,” he said, laughing. “But there were still some younger than me, slower than me.”
With the new additions, there are about 400 reserves in the province and the number is growing. The Philippine Air Force is now recruiting its own batch of reservists and many Itbayat residents are considering joining.