LIEUTENANT General Antonio Nafarrete was named as the 67th commanding general of the Philippine Army.
Nafarrete was the chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Western Mindanao Command (Wesmincom) before he was installed on Thursday, July 31, 2025, as the commanding general of PA.
He replaced Lieutenant General Roy Galido, who had reached the mandatory retirement age of 57.
Nafarrete is a member of the Philippine Military Academy Bigkis Lahi Class of 1990.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. led the turnover of command ceremonies held at the Philippine Army headquarters in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig.
Marcos expressed gratitude to Galido for his service to the country.
He expressed confidence that the Philippine Army will continue to stand as a pillar of strength, integrity, and professionalism under Nafarrete.
“Kaya’t sa araw na ito, bilang inyong commander-in-chief, ipinapangako ko na ipagpapatuloy natin at patitibayin pa natin ang ating Sandatahang Lakas. We owe you nothing less than our full support. Nawa’y magsilbi itong inspirasyon upang mas magampanan ng Philippine Army ang kanyang tungkulin -- ang magsilbi sa bayan ng may tibay ng loob, may paninindigan, at katapatan,” said Marcos.
(And so today, as your commander-in-chief, I promise that we will continue to strengthen and reinforce our Armed Forces. We owe you nothing less than our full support. May this serve as inspiration for the Philippine Army to fulfill its duty -- with courage, conviction, and loyalty -- in service to the nation.)
The President reminded the new leadership of Nafarrete to remain vigilant as geopolitical tensions and uncertainties are high.
“You will be assuming your role at a time when geopolitical tensions and global uncertainty are high. This will demand your vigilance and leadership to deliver clear direction and to show a firm commitment,” he said.
“But I have full confidence that under your command, the Philippine Army will remain steadfast [as] a pillar of strength and integrity, professionalism,” Marcos added.
Nafarrete, for his part, vowed to continue efforts for the agency’s human capital development.
“Our focus will be centered on human capital development, a mission within our mission, to invest not just in what we fight with, but in who fights,” he said.
“Our commitment to human capital development is not apart from the Army's mission but a vital part of it,” he added. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)