ADVERTISEMENT
Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Marcos to new Army chief: Preserve soldiers' strong sense of duty

Marcos to new Army chief: Preserve soldiers' strong sense of duty

Published Aug 11, 2026 04:20 pm
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. leads the change of command of the Philippine Army from General Antonio Nafarrete, who has been appointed Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to Lieutenant General Donald Gumiran in a ceremony at Fort Andres Bonifacio in Taguig City on Aug. 11, 2026. (RTVM)
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. leads the change of command of the Philippine Army from General Antonio Nafarrete, who has been appointed Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to Lieutenant General Donald Gumiran in a ceremony at Fort Andres Bonifacio in Taguig City on Aug. 11, 2026. (RTVM)
President Marcos told Lieutenant General Donald Gumiran, the new commanding general of the Philippine Army, to preserve the Army's strong sense of duty and keep faith with the country's soldiers.
"Continue the mission, preserve the Army’s strong sense of duty and keep faith with our soldiers," Marcos said during the change of command ceremony on Tuesday, Aug. 11.
"You take command as the Army continues the transition towards external defense. Build a force capable of securing the land domain, supporting joint operations, and contributing fully to defending our sovereignty and asserting our territorial integrity," Marcos added.
The President led the change of command from General Antonio Nafarrete, who has been appointed Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), to Gumiran in a ceremony at Fort Andres Bonifacio in Taguig City.
Marcos also directed the new Army chief to ensure that forces are deployed promptly, sustain operations, and respond decisively wherever the mission requires.
"Especially now, as many of our communities confront heavy monsoon rains and other calamities. Keep the Army ready to support search, rescue, and relief operations," Marcos said.
"Be prepared to reach isolated communities, bring families to safety, deliver of food and other essential supplies. When disaster strikes, our people must know that the Army is there to help them," Marcos added.
"Lead the Army with discipline and integrity. Uphold the Constitution. Protect the trust of the Filipino people," the President went on.
The President also expressed confidence in Gumiran, saying his years of frontline command, from platoon leader to Commander of the Western Mindanao Command, and his experience abroad and education at the US Army War College, have prepared him for this responsibility.

'Take care of our soldiers'

The Commander-in-Chief also reminded Gumiran to ensure that soldiers are taken care of, stressing that they are the people who carry the mission.
"And above all, continue to take care of our soldiers," he said.
"Equipment can be modernized. Tactics can be refined. But it is our people who carry the mission, who hold the line, and will give meaning to every gain we make as a force," he added.
Marcos further said: Ensure that every personnel and every unit in the Army remains disciplined and fully aligned with the defense priorities of our Republic.
"The Filipino people look to you in moments of danger and uncertainty. Carry out your mission with discipline, with restraint, and with compassion. Let your conduct preserve the people’s trust and let love of country give purpose to every sacrifice that you make," Marcos told the Army.
The Chief Executive assured them that his administration will continue to invest in their capabilities and champion initiatives that safeguard their welfare and their families.
"We will give you the tools to do the job, the support to do it well, and the confidence that the nation stands behind you," he said.

Related Tags

President Marcos Philippine Army Change of Command Soldiers Donald Gumiran
ADVERTISEMENT
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1561_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ static_articles_1562_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1563_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}

{{ articles_filter_1564_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.mb-article-details { position: relative; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview, .mb-article-details .article-body-summary{ font-size: 17px; line-height: 30px; font-family: "Libre Caslon Text", serif; color: #000; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview iframe , .mb-article-details .article-body-summary iframe{ width: 100%; margin: auto; } .read-more-background { background: linear-gradient(180deg, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0) 13.75%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0.8) 30.79%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000) 72.5%); position: absolute; height: 200px; width: 100%; bottom: 0; display: flex; justify-content: center; align-items: center; padding: 0; } .read-more-background a{ color: #000; } .read-more-btn { padding: 17px 45px; font-family: Inter; font-weight: 700; font-size: 18px; line-height: 16px; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; border: 1px solid black; background-color: white; } .hidden { display: none; }
function initializeAllSwipers() { // Get all hidden inputs with cms_article_id document.querySelectorAll('[id^="cms_article_id_"]').forEach(function (input) { const cmsArticleId = input.value; const articleSelector = '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .body_images'; const swiperElement = document.querySelector(articleSelector); if (swiperElement && !swiperElement.classList.contains('swiper-initialized')) { new Swiper(articleSelector, { loop: true, pagination: false, navigation: { nextEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-next', prevEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-prev', }, }); } }); } setTimeout(initializeAllSwipers, 3000); const intersectionObserver = new IntersectionObserver( (entries) => { entries.forEach((entry) => { if (entry.isIntersecting) { const newUrl = entry.target.getAttribute("data-url"); if (newUrl) { history.pushState(null, null, newUrl); let article = entry.target; // Extract metadata const author = article.querySelector('.author-section').textContent.replace('By', '').trim(); const section = article.querySelector('.section-info ').textContent.replace(' ', ' '); const title = article.querySelector('.article-title h1').textContent; // Parse URL for Chartbeat path format const parsedUrl = new URL(newUrl, window.location.origin); const cleanUrl = parsedUrl.host + parsedUrl.pathname; // Update Chartbeat configuration if (typeof window._sf_async_config !== 'undefined') { window._sf_async_config.path = cleanUrl; window._sf_async_config.sections = section; window._sf_async_config.authors = author; } // Track virtual page view with Chartbeat if (typeof pSUPERFLY !== 'undefined' && typeof pSUPERFLY.virtualPage === 'function') { try { pSUPERFLY.virtualPage({ path: cleanUrl, title: title, sections: section, authors: author }); } catch (error) { console.error('ping error', error); } } // Optional: Update document title if (title && title !== document.title) { document.title = title; } } } }); }, { threshold: 0.1 } ); function showArticleBody(button) { const article = button.closest("article"); const summary = article.querySelector(".article-body-summary"); const body = article.querySelector(".article-body-preview"); const readMoreSection = article.querySelector(".read-more-background"); // Hide summary and read-more section summary.style.display = "none"; readMoreSection.style.display = "none"; // Show the full article body body.classList.remove("hidden"); } document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", () => { let loadCount = 0; // Track how many times articles are loaded const offset = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]; // Offset values const currentUrl = window.location.pathname.substring(1); let isLoading = false; // Prevent multiple calls if (!currentUrl) { console.log("Current URL is invalid."); return; } const sentinel = document.getElementById("load-more-sentinel"); if (!sentinel) { console.log("Sentinel element not found."); return; } function isSentinelVisible() { const rect = sentinel.getBoundingClientRect(); return ( rect.top < window.innerHeight && rect.bottom >= 0 ); } function onScroll() { if (isLoading) return; if (isSentinelVisible()) { if (loadCount >= offset.length) { console.log("Maximum load attempts reached."); window.removeEventListener("scroll", onScroll); return; } isLoading = true; const currentOffset = offset[loadCount]; window.loadMoreItems().then(() => { let article = document.querySelector('#widget_1690 > div:nth-last-of-type(2) article'); intersectionObserver.observe(article) loadCount++; }).catch(error => { console.error("Error loading more items:", error); }).finally(() => { isLoading = false; }); } } window.addEventListener("scroll", onScroll); });
Join Our Newsletters

Sign up by email to receive news.

© 2025 Manila Bulletin The Nation's Leading Newspaper. All Rights Reserved.