Top military official hails Pangasinan's top performance

From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 17): Top military official hails Pangasinan's top performance

A top official of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) hailed the province of Pangasinan being a top performing Local Government Unit (LGU), saying that if an LGU is performing well, the work of the military will be lightened.

This was expressed by Brig. General Vic Cube Castro, commanding officer of the 702nd Brigade of the 7th Infantry Division based at Camp Andres Malong in Binmaley, Pangasinan when he received a copy of the resolution of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) commending him for his recent promotion to the star rank on Monday.

Citing Pangasinan, Castro said that if an LGU is a top performer the , work of the Philippine Army in the place will be easier.

The 702nd Brigade covers eight provinces from Aurora to Ilocos Norte with Pangasinan and La Union personally ranked by Castro as among the most peaceful.

He said under Oplan Bayanihan, the military has shifted its focus from the battlefield to development with soldiers now focusing strongly on community projects in tandem with the LGUs and the people.

Castro said he treasures the award given him by the SP because it came from the representatives duly elected by the people of Pangasinan.

"This is different from the medals that I had previously received in my career which all came from the different commands of the AFP," Castro said.

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