Department of National Defense (DND) Officer-in-Charge Jose Faustino Jr. graced the 16th founding anniversary of the Western Mindanao Command (WestMinCom) on Sunday, August 28, and acknowledged the command’s initiatives to maintain peace in the area.
The event marked the first time that Faustino visited the WestMinCom as he was welcomed with a battalion-sized military honors during his arrival at the command headquarters at Camp Navarro in Calarian, Zamboanga City.
The arrival ceremony was led by top command officers including Lt. Gen. Alfredo Rosario Jr., WestMinCom commander; Rear Adm. Toribio Adaci Jr., commander of Naval Forces Western Mindanao; Brig. Gen. Arturo Rojas, WestMinCom deputy commander for external defense operations; and Col. Elmer Suderio, chief of the unified command staff.
Prior to the anniversary celebration, Faustino presided over a command conference with commanders of joint task forces, brigades, and operational command units to get updates on the WestMinCom’s accomplishments and ongoing campaigns against insurgency, terrorism, and others.
“We have to be proactive in accomplishing our tasks,” Faustino told officers of WestMinCom.
He then attended the anniversary celebration at the WestMinCom Gymnasium as guest of honor and speaker where he spearheaded the presentation of awards and citations to outstanding officers, enlisted personnel, and civilian human resources.
“Today’s occasion is a momentous event as we formally recognize the hard work, dedication, and sacrifices of our officers, enlisted personnel, and civilian human resources,” Faustino said.
“We also give recognition to the different tactical units who supported and directly dismantled the guerilla fronts in their respective area of operations,” the defense chief added.
The theme for this year’s anniversary celebration was “16 Years of Service with Integrity and Commitment.”
The WestMinCom was activated on Aug. 28, 2006 as the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ (AFP) unified command in charge of military operations in Zamboanga Peninsula (Region 9), Northern Mindanao (Region 10), and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).