Cebuano assumes post as Navforcen chief

From the Philippine News Agency (Jul 24): Cebuano assumes post as Navforcen chief

A Cebuano has assumed as the new chief of the Naval Forces Central (Navforcen) of the Philippine Navy based in Lapu-Lapu City.

Commodore Ronald Joseph Mercado replaced Commodore Reynaldo Yoma who will now head the Naval Forces Western Command in Zamboanga City.

"For the past years, we have experienced natural calamities. The focus right now is on humanitarian assistance and disaster response, particularly on this part of the year. We know this is the typhoon season. We should be prepared for it," Mercado said.

"Let's not have the same suffering and the sad experience in the past. We need to be more prepared since we have experiences from which to learn our lessons," he said.

He said the primary mandate of Navforcen is to support the Armed Forces of the Philippines Central Command (Centcom) in maintaining security, peace and order, as well as to help provide a good business and tourism environment in the Visayas.

Mercado said he expects the men and women in Navforcen to be more responsive during calamities.

He said they will also continue to collaborate with civilian and military stakeholders "to ensure that the Philippine Navy's presence in this part of the country will embody the honorable service, such as maritime security in the operational areas."

Mercado, who hails from Banawa, Cebu City, entered the Philippine Navy in 1983.

He said he had always wanted to be assigned in his hometown.

The closest assignment he had within the Visayas area was in Iloilo City on board a ship for only six months before he was transferred to Guinsaugon, Leyte for another assignment.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=665819