A happy and peaceful Easter

After riding on our bikes and surveying the surroundings, I went to join my men on the beach. I have earlier approved the “beach party,” in observance of the customary affair of families to cool-off from the summer heat, timed with the celebration of Easter. While traveling, I saw traffic building up—all heading for the beach—a common scene throughout the country at the end of the Holy Week.







The beach was indeed full of people. I enjoyed seeing them especially the children playing either with the sand or on the waves. For my troops, it seemed that my presence alone already made them happy. So I joined them on their tables for banter with their families posing for photo shots with them. Noting a number of children, we paid on wholesale the contents of a passing local ice cream cart—to the delight of the vendor. However, the children were more thrilled as they ganged up for their free share. Later, we feasted on the potlucks prepared by the soldiers and their families.

I left them to enjoy a dip in the tempting sea and to give them more time with their families and friends. From there, I checked on the nearby resorts and found all these to be also packed with people. I was happy with the thought that the locals now find time to enjoy the peace and quiet of the day with their loved ones. I mused at how this peaceful condition came about: by those who courageously faced the perceived uncertain situation; by those who exerted all efforts to ensure the peace; and by the security forces, including the soldiers, who stood on guard and patrolled the countryside to protect the communities.

May the meaning of this day give us more vigor to renew our pursuit for peace in the land. Happy Easter Sunday to all.

A fun-filled afternoon with the children

It is always refreshing and inspiring to spend time with the children, particularly when you see them happy. Their youthful innocence and zest at play has a way of reliving our younger days when we were unaffected by the larger concerns of the times.

A “Dula sa mga Bata Alang sa Kalinaw” (Games of the Children for Peace) was one activity planned to help communities, particularly the children, bring back happier days in places traumatized by the recent violence. The sponsors—Mr. Musa Sanguila, Executive Director of Pakigdait Incorporated, and Ms. Marit Stinus-Remonde, District Governor of Kiwanis International—chose Barangay Dilabayan of Kauswagan Town in Lanao del Norte as the site for this activity. Incidentally, the two sponsors took pride being among the Army awardees which came to help the brigade in its peace efforts in the area. In the recent celebration of the 112th Army Anniversary, Pakigdait, an interfaith organization, got the award, per our nomination—the second time around—as the Most Outstanding NGO; Ms. Remonde, also, received an award for helping the Army in its various civic programs.


















In the afternoon of 30 March, I addressed the children, skipping the usual lengthy amenities, saying simply that we came to have fun and play with them. The children’s response was quite ecstatic. Despite the drizzle, the event became livelier as Ms. Cristina Lomoljo sent her teams from Balay Integrated Rehabilitation for Total Human Development (BIRTHDEV) to assist in the games. Afterwards, they ate chicken “arrozcaldo.” To Musa, this was the first time the kids ate what was prepared for them; many even came back for second servings and more until nothing was left. In the previous activities, it was noted that the children did not touch the food that was brought for them due to cultural sensitivities. This time it was different, the local folks were given the raw food items and were asked to cook it themselves.

We left seeing the children happy…and we felt happier with a sense of fulfillment.

Pinning our hopes on the youth … our children

Our hopes for the future are pinned on our children. And school graduation exercises celebrate this event with the awarding of diplomas and medals proclaiming the children’s achievement. It is usually an emotionally charged affair when tears are shed—of joy, of gratitude, of pride, of hope, and perhaps ... even of despair—by the graduating students, teachers, and parents, and even by guests. The deeper significance of the occasion is that our individual and collective dreams are being passed to the youth, to the children.










I had the opportunity to again witness this thrilling celebration in the 24th Commencement Exercises of Balo-i National High School in Lanao del Norte. In a Christian-dominated class marching for graduation, about 40% of the 149 students were Muslims. Despite this, Johari M. Abubacar, a well-mannered Muslim, was the class valedictorian. He reaped a number of awards: Best in Mathematics, Best in Science, Best in Mapeh, and Best in Aral Panlipunan. I would say that he was quite good particularly as I listened to him deliver a remarkable speech from memory. This, I thought, was an excellent example of a youth upon whom we can pin our hopes for the future. But, my upbeat feeling was soon overwhelmed by a sense of despair: he may not make it to college due to financial incapacity. Later, I was comforted with the thought that the teachers and some guests were doing something to put him to school. Still, I asked myself how many of our promising youths are not accorded the chance to deliver their full potential.

Mindful of this dilemma together with my own parental responsibilities, I took my turn to deliver my message on the adopted commencement theme—“My Education: My Contribution to the Future.”

Message - My Education

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Memories of the heart

By stroke of fate, I found myself again posted in the same place--Lanao--for the 3rd time: first as a junior officer in the early 80s, then as battalion commander in 2000, and now as brigade commander. Fond memories of the past easily come by on idle days, as on Valentine’s Day, more so when away from our loved ones.

Far from my loved ones on the “Day of the Hearts” and after 24 years, I finally managed to visit my marital godparents: former Linamon Mayor Albertino and Citsunsicion Macas. Both of them, now in their early 80's, were in high spirits and had just arrived from their separate civic and social activities. Where years ago stood their wooden house, as I can still vividly recall, had already been replaced with concrete structures.

















Over a chocolate cake that I especially made out for them, we reminisced the past as much as we could remember. I obviously had to fill in the events in between since the time I last saw them. As I did, they delighted going-over the pictures of my family and that of my grandson--the same images I had locked in my heart.

In bidding goodbye to give them more time on their own, I was amazed at how they aged gracefully and appeared quite fulfilled. I then realized how time passed so quickly as we get passionately consumed in pursuing our dreams, but missing on the little and pleasant things in life. I walked away with a strange feeling of an intense longing for the company of my own family. Perhaps, indeed, as we grow older, we come to think more of home.

On my way back to camp, I shook myself out of my reverie to focus on what still lays ahead: continuing with life’s journey and drawing inspiration from the many memories kept in my heart.

"To make a difference"

"To make a difference" was how Ms. Marit Stinus-Remonde, District Governor of Kiwanis International, described the purpose of her visit at 104th Infantry Brigade area in Lanao del Norte last February 6. Her visit was long delayed due to the violent incidents that rocked the province.

It is then understandable that her husband, Press Secretary Cerge Remonde, was seemingly reluctant to have her visit the place. After visiting Kiwanis in Iligan City, she insisted to see what life is in the land of the Maranaos particularly in the hinterland barangays. I then brought her Kiwanis group to visit Barangay Delabayan of Kauswagan. The barangay had served as a model of interfaith activities with starting with the “Project Islam.” (Islam meant “I Sincerely Love All Muslims.”) At Delabayan, she met with its traditional leader—Sultan Moner—who explained their condition; talked to the local folks; and visited the schools. She also conferred with Musa Sanguila, director of Pakigdait Inc, an interfaith NGO which was doing civic work at Barangay Tacub. Her last stop was at the brigade headquarters where she took time to engage with my officers. And in several instances, I noticed her quietly taking notes. At one point, she turned to her fellow Kiwanians saying that Delabayan was a doable place for their initial community projects outside Iligan City.

I first met Marit when I was still the Chief of Staff of the 10th Infantry Division based in Davao City. I have noted her active participation in several civic activities, and in many occasions partnered with Army units to deliver assistance to the communities. Hence, I was then quite glad when she volunteered to extend the same assistance within my area.

Indeed, more civic projects should be directed towards the hinterlands communities—where small things can “create extraordinary life-changing moments.”

To the Kiwanis and the other NGOs, thank you all in behalf of the people here! Your civic activities and even just your plain visits to the remote communities show that we care for them. Surely, this will go a long way “to make a difference.”

The profession of arms

In my recent visit of a hinterland outpost, I surveyed soldiers going about their routine tasks. I know this is a typical sight, particularly at the front, as soldiers carry out their sworn duties of protecting the country and the people. While this is expected from soldiers, the thought of their sacrifices especially being away from their families is heartrending on my part, as a father. The scene is reminiscent of the culture of soldiering as described in the 1932 “The Edge of the Sword” book by French General Charles de Gaulle:

“Men who adopt the profession of arms submit of their own free will to a law of perpetual constraint. Of their own accord they reject the right to live where they choose, to say what they think, to dress as they like. From the moment they become soldiers it needs but an order to settle them in this place, to move them to that, to separate them from their families and dislocate their normal lives. On the word of command they must rise, march, run, endure bad weather, go without sleep or food, be isolated in some distant post, work till they drop. They have ceased to be the masters of their fate. If they drop in their tracks, if their ashes are scattered to the four winds, that is all part and parcel of their job.”

As a commander, I owe an explanation to the families of our soldiers especially their children to make them understand what it means to have a parent to be in the “Profession of Arms.” Hence, I find it fitting to post below the December 2008 letter of the Commanding General of the Philippine Army addressed to the soldiers’ children. (Original version in Pilipino)

Letter to Soldiers' Children

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