by Miriam G. Desacada
Tacloban City–]Lieutenant General Roy M. Galido, commander of the Philippine Army, on Wednesday (Jan. 24) visited the 8th Infantry Division (8ID) at Camp Vicente Lukban in Catbalogan City of Samar to assess the readiness and capabilities of the troops in Eastern Visayas of their mandated mission.
After inspecting the facilities of the 8ID headquarters, Galido got a briefing on the status of the region’s peace and security against insurgency and terrorism. He then discussed strategic plans and operational capabilities of the troops with 8ID officials and the division commander, Major General Camilo Z. Ligayo.
Ligayo was happy with Galido’s visit, boosting the morale of the Army soldiers based in Eastern Visayas. He was thankful of the concern of the Army chief, citing also the past deployment of battalions from other divisions to Region 8 that, in turn helped in the neutralization of the remaining insurgents or terrorists in this part of the country, and possibly the declaration of the Region 8 as insurgency-free.
Ligayo also recognized the legacy of past 8ID commanders—Maj. Gens. Pio Diñoso and Edgardo De Leon—that contributed to the present strength and infrastructure of the division. He further lauded the impact of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), which entices rebel returnees and end insurgency and terrorism in Eastern Visayas.
Galido, after his assessment and meeting with Division officials, declared that the 8ID is aligned with the overall goals of the Philippine Army that he currently heads.
During the Talk to Troops event, Galido emphasized the Command’s thrusts for the soldiers to accomplish, as contained in the ARMY acronym.
He spelled out ARMY as follows: “A” for Always Pray to seek divine guidance in their daily activities; “R” for being reliable, responsive, and relevant to the needs of the nation; “M” for being Mission-oriented to strengthen the troops’ morale; and “Y” for Yielding personal interests and comfort for unity in the Phil. Army, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and the nation.
Galido wanted the Army to be mission-oriented, and ensure the morale of the troops be enhanced and sustained.
“Morale for me is the proper environment for us to work properly, proper tools for us to do our job well. And more importantly, the morale that we need is to be more passionate in our work. One environment that I would like for us to create is the environment of respect,” said the Army general.
Galido told the troops to maintain the highest standards of military professionalism, and reinforce their commitment to excellence and strengthen their spiritual connection with God Almighty.
The Army chief also thanked and commended the diligence and dedication to duty of the 8ID soldiers and its Civilian Human Resource (CHR) department. “I would like to thank you (troops) for volunteering your services (by joining the Army) despite the situation and you know the hardship that goes with it,” he said.
“Also to the CHR, it’s very hard to render service in the military organization dahil crossroad kayo, mina-manage kayo ng military mind at civilian kayo, napakahirap. Thank you for volunteering and rendering service,” Galido said in his speech.
Galido later conferred Gold Cross and Silver Cross medals to the soldiers of the 8ID who “made an exceptional contribution to the Division” based in Eastern Visayas.
After his visit to the 8ID, Galido visited the headquarters of the 801st Infantry Brigade in Hinabangan, Samar where he continued his engagement with the troops of the unit, which is also a component of the 8ID. —Miriam G. Desacada