Pres. Duterte appoints retired Gen. Yano as DND usec

From the Philippine Information Agency (Jul 8): Pres. Duterte appoints retired Gen. Yano as DND usec 

Retired Brig. Gen. Cesar B. Yano was recently appointed as Undersecretary for Defense Operations of the Department of National Defense (DND) by President Rodrigo R. Duterte.

A native of Sindangan, Zamboanga del Norte

Usec. Yano was born in Barangay Disud, Sindangan, Zamboanga del Norte, the third child in a brood of five, to parents who were both public school teachers.

He finished his elementary education in Sindangan Pilot Demonstration School and his high school was spent at St. Joseph College, Sindangan.

He first tasted city life when he took up 3 years of engineering studies in Cebu City before he entered the Philippine Military Academy.

Serving the military

Brig. Gen. Yano was a member of the PMA Class of 1980 and was in military service for 34 years.

Upon graduation from PMA, he experienced real action as a young lieutenant at the height of the secessionist rebellion in Jolo, Sulu in the early 80’s.

He is the younger brother of Alexander B. Yano, former chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and Philippine ambassador to Brunei Darussalam during the presidency of Gloria M. Arroyo.

He also served as assistant chief of staff for civil military operations and spokesman of the 4th Infantry Division in Northern Mindanao.

In 2005, Yano worked as chief of staff of the 7th Infantry Division and the Northern Luzon Command based at Fort Magsaysay, Cabanatuan City.

The valor of this mighty general was later on challenged in 2007 when he became the commander of the 302nd Brigade operating combat battalions in Cebu, Bohol and eastern Negros. Because of his successful fight against the New People’s Army (NPA), the latter has issued a “warrant of arrest” against him and six other army field commanders.  

In 2010, he became the second son of the province of Zamboanga del Norte to earn the much coveted rank of general in the AFP following the footsteps of his elder brother who retired as a four-star general.

Attaché to the United States

He once served as the country’s Defense and Armed Forces attaché to the United States in 2011.

While serving as one of the country’s top military diplomat in Washington, D.C., the Philippine Navy acquired two Hamilton-class weather high-endurance cutters (WHECs) that were renamed as BRP Gregorio del Pilar and  BRP Ramon Alcaraz. In addition, the Philippine Air Force C-130 “Hercules” cargo plane was also successfully overhauled in Mojave, California and the AFP received new weapons and numerous military supplies worth $2.8 million.

These two ships and military weapons were considered a big boost to the country’s external defense protecting our maritime borders.

Moreover, he received the Philippine Legion of Honor Award for his meritorious and valuable services which enhanced our diplomatic and security relations with the United States as well as Canada.

Accordingly, he provided the DND and AFP with vital information that served as basis in the decision-making of government policy makers. He relentlessly engaged the security experts and think-tanks based in Washington D.C to discuss security implications to the Philippines and the Asia-Pacific region.

He retired from military service on May 10, 2013 as Brigadier General of the Philippine Army.

Undersecretary for Defense Operations

As USec for Defense Operations, he is tasked to advise and assist the secretary of National Defense in formulating and implementing department objectives and policies on matters pertaining to defense operations.

Certainly, Usec. Yano has both the brilliance and expertise in bringing the country to its highest potential, to effectively and efficiently guard against internal and external threats to national peace and security while providing support for social and economic development.

http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/2491467942000/pres-duterte-appoints-retired-gen-yano-as-dnd-usec-