THE Army's 1st Infantry Division (ID) has promoted eight officers to the rank of major and commissioned into the reserve force four reservist officers.
The newly-promoted officers are: Major Salvador Seville Jr., Major Jessielito Alatraca, Major Danilo Mutoc, Major Gilbert Osores, Major Mark Anthony Calamba, Major Joseph Patrick Jaque, Major Michael Morales and Major Glenn Molina.
Major General Generoso Ponio, 1ID commander, led the donning of ranks of the newly-promoted officers during the flag-raising ceremony Monday, August 9, at Camp Major Cesar Sang-an, home of the 1ID in Labangan, Zamboanga del Sur.
On behalf of the newly-promoted officers, Seville thanked the 1ID for recognizing one of the most significant events of their military profession.
Seville acknowledged that being promoted and donned with a new rank entails greater responsibility.
Ponio warmly welcomed to the 1ID family the four reservist officers who were commissioned to the reserve force.
They are as follows: Lieutenant Colonel Lucela Balbuena, Captain Carlnan Climaco, Second Lieutenant Crisanto Francisco and Second Lieutenant Vicente Cagada.
Climaco, the mayor of Tungawan, Zamboanga Sibugay, he expressed his gratitude to the 1ID for its peace efforts in his town.
"Hindi po namin magagawa ng LGU (local government unit) alone kung ano man ang nararapat to bring the services to our people. We need a rather bigger organization, and that is the Army. Sila po ang tumulong kung bakit medyo hindi na gaanong magulo ang Tungawan ngayon," Climaco said.
Climaco also shared that becoming an officer of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is one of his dreams, and he showed his appreciation, especially to Ponio, for making it happen.
Ponio congratulated all the newly promoted officers and welcomed the newly commissioned reservist officers.
Ponio recognized the significant role of the reservists in the country's peace and development efforts.
He also mentioned that the state should see the need to train its citizens to become reservists. (SunStar Zamboanga)