The 110,000-strong members of the Philippine Army welcomed its new Commanding General, Lt. Gen. Roy M. Galido, in a Change of Command Ceremony presided by the President of the Philippines and Commander in Chief, Armed Forces of the Philippines, His Excellency Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. at Headquarters Philippine Army, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City on August 7, 2023.
Lt. Gen. Roy M. Galido assumed leadership of the Philippine Army, succeeding the new AFP Chief of Staff and outgoing CGPA, Gen. Romeo S. Brawner Jr.
Lt. Gen. Galido, prior to his assumption as the 66th Army Chief, served as the Commander of the Western Mindanao Command, AFP. He also held various key positions, such as the Commander of the 6th Infantry Division in 2022, Army Inspector General in 2021; Brigade Commander of the 601st Infantry Brigade, 6ID in 2020; and Commanders of the 38th Infantry Battalion and 41st Infantry Battalion all under 6ID in 2011-2013.
The new CGPA is a member of the Philippine Military Academy "Bigkis-Lahi" Class of 1990 and acquired three Master's degrees: a Master's in Management from the Philippine Christian University-Manila, a Master's of Science in Information Technology from the University of New South Wales, Australia; and a Master's in Public Management Major in Development Security from the Development Academy of the Philippines.
During his assumption speech, Lt. Gen. Galido mentioned that he would focus on establishing discipline as the bedrock of trust in the Army, recalibrating internal security operations, strengthening the organization for territorial defense, re-evaluating systems to empower soldiers to have the necessary skills that can contribute in nation-building even after the military life, proper utilization of financial assets, logistics, manpower, and time. "Soldiery is voluntary, it's a choice, it's a vocation, sacrificing personal interest is mandatory, but your welfare will always be addressed," the CGPA said.
Photos by SSg. Cesar P. Lopez and Cpl. Rodgen V. Quirante, OACPA