Unsung Heroes, All

From the Manila Times (Jun 23, 2023): Unsung Heroes, All

The best of the best.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines, together with The Manila Times (TMT) and The Manila Times TV (TMT TV), will be paying tribute to Filipino soldiers in the first "The Manila Times and The Manila Times TV Tribute to the Soldiers." The awards will honor soldiers who have displayed exemplary service in the past year and whose achievements have made significant impact in military establishment as well as with the community where they were deployed.

"It refers to achievements which were performed over and beyond the call of duty or normal circumstances, which yielded very significant effects such as saving the organization from costly acquisitions, changing a system for the better, preventing damages and saving someone's life. It is like the civilian phrase, 'doing the extra miles or being two steps ahead' in achieving a goal," according to Media and Civil Affairs Group (MCAG) of the AFP which is at the forefront of managing the list of nominees.

There are 3 categories with 3 awardees each, with an additional awardee for the Education category.

Contribution in the Combat Zone

The nominated soldiers are assigned to units confronting communist terrorist groups, local terrorist groups, as well as soldiers protecting the maritime borders of the country.

"Their primary duties include safeguarding the unit's perimeter and/or face the enemy in the battlefield encounter, as they are assigned in the combat zone which is, commonly, an enemy's lair. They do not necessarily have direct encounter with communist terrorist groups and local terrorist groups or other threats to the country's sovereignty. But they should have contributed to the success of the unit's mission in the combat zone," said MCAG.

A case in point are the soldiers monitoring the West Philippine Sea who were also considered for nomination even though they are not engaged in combat. "Guarding our maritime resources is crucial to our nation's sovereignty, especially from foreign encroachment. Just like securing our land resources from the enemy on the ground, we need to safeguard our seas which are sources of livelihood for many Filipinos," said MCAG.

Outstanding Community Service

The nominated soldiers are assigned to units guarding areas against terrorist groups and other security threats.

MCAG explained that "As the skills of our soldiers are diverse, they usually perform community service in conflict-stricken areas that may prove highly dangerous to be reached by civilian agencies, such as delivering alternative learning system in conflict-stricken, far-flung areas. Another kind of community service that deserves recognition is one that brings about changes and big improvement in the areas where they serve. This is usually through civil-military operation, i.e., proving health care services – medical, dental, eye check-ups, circumcision and others that not provided to the people in rural communities."

Innovations in Administrative and Logistics Functions

Soldiers involved in non-combatant roles are also nominated.

MCAG stressed the administrative staff also plays a key role in the success of any military operation. "Proper human and logistical resource management is crucial to any organization, and it is the same in the AFP, and failure to do so can mean unnecessary losses and wastage. Managing of these resources are meticulously done by military personnel with relevant skills in these areas, who guarantee that human and logistics assets are managed well."

Achievement in Education

For Filipino soldiers pursuing additional college degrees.

Knowledge is just as important to the Filipino soldier as their combat skills. "Pursuing advanced or further education is important to every military personnel, to be abreast with the continuing development in their field of expertise and the technology. As the AFP has embarked on its modernization goals, so have the soldiers in terms of education. The AFP have engineers, doctors, lawyers, pilots, teachers, information technology experts, and other degrees and specialized skills that civilian Filipinos possess. Those who already possessed a degree before they entered the military are given an opportunity to pursue advanced courses that help in their career advancement," said MCAG.

Choosing the Nominees

The General Headquarters of the AFP instructed the three major branches of service to submit their nominations. The Philippine Army, the Philippine Navy and the Philippine Air Force each submitted 3 nominees for each category except for Education in which the services submitted one nominee each. The AFP set 3 criteria of excellence which were considered in selecting the nominees:The nominee has a great story of accomplishment despite of the hurdles encountered.

The nominee has contributed significant deeds to the AFP which made an impact to the overall mission of the organization of protecting the people and securing the state.

The nominee has upheld the core values of the Armed Forces of the Philippines through his meritorious deeds which promote the image of the organization.

An AFP panel vetted the list of nominees and pared it down to a total of 30 nominees. The final list of nominees was submitted to The Manila Times which will form its own panel of judges.

The awardees will be announced on August 28, 2023, in line with the commemoration of National Heroes Day. The historic Manila Hotel will serve as the venue for the event.

"We are honored to partner with the Armed Forces of the Philippines to recognize the bravery, sacrifices, and exceptional contributions of our soldiers who have dedicated their lives to protecting our nation," said Dante Ang Sr., Chairman Emeritus of The Manila Times. "We are proud to work together to give these soldiers the recognition they deserve."

The Manila Times TV serves as the broadcast component of The Manila Times.

https://www.manilatimes.net/2023/06/23/public-square/unsung-heroes-all/1897420