Saturday, June 23, 2007 A good shepherd in the Army By Ben Tesiorna
A GOOD shepherd does his best to keep his flock from getting into trouble. He uses a rod to protect his flock from attackers, also uses it to approach discipline as a teaching opportunity and regularly check their progress. This is how the person in command at the 10th Infantry Division does his job.
His white hair distinguishes him. An acquaintance with him will leave an impressive memory of a brilliant person to associate with. He has a soft-spoken voice but is very tough inside and always emphasizes every message he conveys.
With less than a year left before retiring from military service, Major General Ernesto Disu Boac has no other dream in his military career but to leave a legacy uniquely his own. Boac is the first commander to lead the newly-created 10th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army based here in Camp Panacan, Davao City and he wants his stint to be considered fruitful and heart warming.
The 10th ID was activated in August last year with a mission: to neutralize the Southern Mindanao Regional Committee (SMRC) of the New People's Army, considered by the Armed Forces of the Philippines to be the most active NPA group in the entire country. This is in line with the order of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to eradicate the communist movement by year 2010.
The challenge of building a new unit primarily rests on its leadership. Boac, in his assumption speech as Commanding General, stresses the importance of its vision "to provide the ultimate sense of purpose, direction and motivation for all members of the unit." He, likewise, outlines his intentions of building suitable climate and culture for the organization.
"We are only a few months old yet we are already gaining ground in our insurgency campaign," Boac said, citing the recovery of hundreds of firearms, the surrender and death of several rebels and overrunning of rebel camps.
He is a veteran in the fight against insurgency, having been assigned for so many years in the areas of Agusan del Sur as a platoon, company, battalion and then brigade commander. In fact, he has been assigned here in Mindanao for 16 years and most of those years were in the field to combat the problem of insurgency.
His strategy to solve insurgency is, not solely relying on combat or military operations but also community visitation, education and project implementation to areas believed as strongholds of the rebel movement.
Leadership Style
He is a great leader who has a big heart for his men. His ultimate concern is the quality of life his men has and addresses every concern fairly. He believes that by giving loyalty and trust to his people and having a sincere heart for them is an investment. In return, his people will view that investment with a heartfelt following. The quality of return is based on the quality of investment.
His awards
The leadership of Major General Boac earned him the Best Battalion Commander of the Year in 1994 when he was assigned with the 68th IB under the 7th ID based in Pangasinan province. Just recently, AFP Chief of Staff Hermogenes Esperon cited the 10th ID as one of the best Infantry Division of the Philippine Army.
He is also a recipient of various awards, including the five Distinguished Service Stars, Outstanding Honor Graduate in both the Infantry Officer Advance Course and Command and General Staff Course, and the prestigious Cavalier Award given by the Philippine Military Academy Alumni Association in 2000.
His passion
He loves gardening. As a matter of fact, he supervises the landscaping of the newly built 10th ID offices and quarters. Just like a real shepherd, he appreciates nature. That’s why in his free time, he plays golf to unwind and commune with the beauty of nature. But little did everyone know that he is a music lover. He is recently compiling all sorts of music from jazz, instrumental, pop to techno, etc. which he downloads from his personal laptop. He therefore thought that the next logical thing he will do after retiring from the Military service is to use his knowledge to teach people how to appreciate good music.
His legacy
Being the first commander of the 10th Infantry Division, he leaves behind a climate and a culture which encourages the men and women of the AFP. The spirit of teamwork will always be cherished. Understandably, he will have a touch of melancholic feeling once he leaves the service, after all his association as a serviceman had come from every region of the world, every strata of society, yet a strong bond had grown between them. He has been blessed with many accolades more than any officer ought to have but none of them mean more than the sincere loyalty and commitment of the people who have worked with him, who taught him how to lead in a manner that made them want to follow.
The Man
Boac graduated from the Philippine Military Academy in 1975. Born on February 15, 1952, he hails from Camp Allen, Baguio City. He is a son of a Master Sergeant who saw and was wounded in action during World War II.
He has five other siblings but he was the only one who pursued a military career as three of them are nurses while the two are engineers. He spent his elementary and high school education in Baguio City.
Aside from taking basic military course, he also finished the Professional Manager’s Program at the Ateneo de Manila Graduate School of Business and holds a Masters Degree of Strategic Studies from the United States Army War College in Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania , U.S.A.
He is blessed with two daughters, Armie, 27 years old and Diane, 24 years old. Both finished BS Psychology.
Great leadership is hard work, it's unrelenting. It comes with a price that few are willing to pay. His time, his commitment, his personal energy and involvement is the cost he has given to become a worthy shepherd to his flock. He personally modeled it for them, thus a debt of gratitude began to well up. If you can stand up for your people, they’ll stand up for you. When his men feel attacked, they know they have someone they can depend on. He is a man looked up to and respected. As implausible as it may sound, Gen. Boac is a good shepherd to the 10th Infantry Division.
