Trinidad appointed as new Northern Luzon Command chief

From the Philippine News Agency (Jun 8): Trinidad appointed as new Northern Luzon Command chief

Major Gen. Felicito Virgilio M. Trinadad Jr. has been appointed to head the Northern Luzon Command effective on Monday.

This was disclosed on Sunday by Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) public affairs office chief Lt. Col. Ramon Zagala, who said that Trinidad will formally assume his new post in a change-of-command ceremony to be held in Camp Aquino, Tarlac City.

He will be replacing Lt. Gen. Gregorio Pio P. Catapang Jr., who was appointed as the AFP vice-chief-of-staff last May 22.

During Catapang's tenure at Northern Luzon Command, he was able to successfully facilitate the Cordillera People's Liberation Army (CPLA) Closure-integration component under Executive Order 49 and Administrative Order 18, and declared the provinces of Central and Northern Luzon insurgency-free.

Northern Luzon Command's role in territorial defense likewise got a needed boost through Catapang’s efforts to push for the construction of littoral observation stations to increase maritime domain awareness.

Trinidad, on the other hand. has been serving the AFP for more than 30 years now since he graduated from the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) in 1982.

He previously held the position of commander, 1st Infantry Division, the Army’s primary anti-guerrilla unit based in Camp Sang-an, Zamboanga del Sur.

Prior to this, Trinidad also served as the Battalion commander of 14th Infantry Battalion of the 8th Infantry Division initially based in Eastern Samar but was redeployed to Sulu Province from 2002-2003 at the height of the AFP’s campaign against the Abu Sayyaf Group and rogue Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) elements.

He later became the director of the Directorate for AFP Modernization, OJ9, GHQ and director, Army Modernization Program Management Office, from 2005 to 2007 in charge of the implementation of the Modernization Projects.

Among the significant responsibilities he held during his stint as 1st Infantry Division commander was being the overall ground commander of AFP and police units during the successful defense of Zamboanga City in last year’s siege.

On Dec. 20, 2013, during the celebration of the AFP’s 78th Anniversary Day, Trinidad received the Philippine Legion of Honor (Degree of Commander) in recognition of his efforts during the Defense of Zamboanga City.

He took specialization courses and military training here and abroad.

Trinidad finished the Executive Course on National Security Administration at the National Defense College of the Philippines, and the UN Peacekeeping Operations Course at Rhode Island, USA.

He also took Masters in Business Administration at the De La Salle University.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=651469