The first-ever lady Sergeant Major in the history of the
Philippine Army (PA) has assumed the post to serve as “mother” to the
5,000-strong male-dominated military contingent in Bicol.
Wearing a shoulder rank of master sergeant, Army enlisted
woman Rosa Maria Lanila recently took over the post in the PA’s 9th Infantry
(Spear) Division (ID) based at Camp Elias Angeles here from a male counterpart
-- Senior Master Sergeant Alex Allejos.
Allejos served the position for six years and retired last
Jan. 16 after 36 years in military service.
The latest to be declared as already “peaceful and ready for
further development” is Camarines Norte, where the military has claimed a
momentous victory in its decades of fight against communist insurgency in Bicol
by neutralizing the NPA and restoring peace in the province.
“We want to provide the rest of the region a space where the
people can feel safe and grow as progressive communities just like what these
two provinces are now enjoying, and Sergeant Major Lanila will play a crucial
role in this aspiration,” 9th ID commander Maj. Gen. Yerson Depayso said on
Tuesday.
The sergeant major is a unique non-commissioned rank in the
PA held by a senior enlisted member appointed to serve among other inherent
tasks as a spokesperson to address the issues of enlisted soldiers to the
higher command.
As such, Lanila would be spending much of her time traveling
throughout the units comprising the 9th ID that include three infantry brigades
composed of eight infantry battalions and seven support units.
The position would be a big challenge to her being a woman
who has to look after the morale, discipline, living conditions in camps and
welfare of the about 5,000 Army enlisted personnel or non-commissioned officers
(NCOs) mostly men belonging to all these units, according to Depayso.
“She needs to act like a ‘mother’ and 'guiding light'” to
these men in maintaining high standard of morale and discipline so that they
remain the strong backbone in Bicol of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP)
from whom their commanding officers draw all-out support in safeguarding the
peace and tranquillity of the Bicolanos,” he said.
As their “mother”, Lanila should lead by example in the
efforts of the entire organization to uphold military discipline and promote
positive values and attitude which are determining factors if these NCOs are on
their right track while serving the country as professional soldiers, Depayso
said.
Lanila’s assignment to the post, he said, is part of the
PA’s policy of giving female soldiers who, aside from being tasked for office
and administrative works, are also being given the chance to be assigned in the
frontlines for an opportunity to be able to serve civilian communities.
“The presence of the female soldiers somehow softens the
aggressive and masculine perception of the people regarding the members of the
Armed Forces,” he added.
For her part, Lanila said, she is very much honored with her
new assignment which she considers as “very challenging,” given the fact that
it carries with it the task of looking after the welfare of her fellow NCOs as
what a mother does to her children.
“I don’t find it a difficult job as all I have to do is
continue what my immediate predecessor has started -- work on the
accomplishments of his unfinished works and sustain those that have been
gained,” she explained.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=732093
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