Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on Saturday urged the Philippine Army’s newest officers to remain committed to their duty to the nation, saying they will play a crucial role in safeguarding the country amid an increasingly complex security environment.
Representing President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., who is on an official visit to Canada, Teodoro led the graduation of 552 new officers from the Officer Candidate Course (OCC) “Gundaway” Class 64-2026 and the OCC-Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) “Talagilab” Class 03-2026 at the Philippine Army’s Officer Candidate School in Camp O’Donnell, Capas, Tarlac.
The graduates include 362 officers from OCC “Gundaway” and 190 from OCC-ROTC “Talagilab.”
In his address, Teodoro congratulated the graduates and praised them for overcoming personal and professional challenges to earn their commissions.
“I would just like to say that it is indeed a great honor. Malaking karangalan sa akin na maging panauhing pandangal ninyo. Bakit? Unang una, nakapagpapakumbaba ng loob, it is humbling to hear that at your young age, ka bata-bata niyo pa, kumpara sa akin, napakadami niyo nang dinaanan na hamon sa buhay,” he said.
“You struggled and you overcame. And you chose a path not easy to get to where you are. So, what does it give us, the leadership? For me, it gives me a sense of purpose and a sense of responsibility to reassert myself, to reassert all efforts, more than my best, in order to build a credible deterrent posture for the Republic of the Philippines.”
Teodoro described military service as a “sacred calling” and reminded the new officers to always place the Republic and its future above personal interests.
He said the graduates’ sacrifices contribute to the country’s goal of building a credible defense force capable of deterring both internal and external threats while maintaining peace and security.
The defense chief also emphasized that strengthening external defense must go hand in hand with preserving internal peace and stability.
Philippine Army chief Lt. Gen. Antonio Nafarrete said the Army has updated its training curriculum to better prepare officers for the changing nature of modern warfare.
“With these realities in mind, we have ensured that the foundation of every Filipino soldier is both strong and adaptable. It is built to meet the evolving needs of our organization while remaining flexible enough to respond, adjust, and thrive in today’s highly volatile security environment,” Nafarrete said.
Probationary 2nd Lt. Fernando M. Abanag Jr., the top graduate of OCC “Gundaway,” and Probationary 2nd Lt. Gilnove R. Olmedo, who led OCC-ROTC “Talagilab,” received the Presidential Sabers in recognition of their outstanding performance.
The OCC is a one-year program for college graduates seeking commissions in the Regular Force of the Philippine Army, while the OCC-ROTC is a six-month commissioning course for qualified reserve officers.
