The Executive Secretary, Secretary Lucas Bersamin; our DND Secretary Gilbert Teodoro; the Special Assistant to the President, Secretary Anton Lagdameo; the Presidential Communications Office Secretary Cheloy Garafil; Presidential Adviser on Military and Police Affairs Secretary Roman Felix; AFP Chief of Staff General Andy Centino; the major services commanders here present; and of course, the newly promoted general and flag officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines; my fellow workers in government; and of course, the families of our newly promoted officers, generals and flag officers, good afternoon. Welcome to Malacañan Palace for this very important occasion.

It is with great pride and admiration that I congratulate each and everyone of you.  Your ascent to this high position is a testament to the capabilities and proof of your mettle in the most perilous yet unparalleled profession.

Your collective toil through the years, while rising through the ranks, not only has secured our country and our people. It has also laid the foundations that allow us now to build for tomorrow.

But the challenge of nation-building and national security is a continuing and fluid one.  The hard work will not and must not cease.  Our nation and the citizenry shall exact and expect from you a heavier responsibility and a more demanding kind of public service: that of exemplary leadership and a clear vision for our Armed Forces.

You will be tasked to efficiently manage the organization and its assets, and maintain its effectivity and resilience.

You are to lead and mobilize the nation’s new generation of guardians and future leaders, and instill in them the virtues of discipline, valor, and patriotic public service that have brought you to this day today.

High-level of security intelligence and analysis will be expected to fully apprise the Commander-in- Chief and strategically guide our planning and all of our decision-making.

This is a new era for the AFP—one that now looks outward, while also building on the gains that we have made internally. With the ever-changing dynamics of geopolitics and the global security environment, more challenges will undoubtedly lie ahead.

But cognizant of these circumstances, the AFP must always emerge effective, formidable, and responsive as you have always done, in order that our country’s integrity and interests are defended and are preserved.

Henceforth, your strategic leadership will be the fulcrum and the compass, so that the AFP will move in the right direction, guided by the Constitution and the democratic principles that we have all sworn to uphold.

As your President and your Commander-in-Chief, I stand resolutely behind and with the Armed Forces of the Philippines. I will ensure that the strength of the organization and the well-being of all its personnel are attended to.

May God bestow His blessings and protection upon you, our entire Armed Forces, and upon our beloved country, the Philippines.

Once again, my heartfelt congratulations to the newly minted generals and flag officers of the Armed Forces.

Mabuhay ang Sandatahang Lakas ng Pilipinas! 

Mabuhay ang Pilipinas! Maraming salamat po sa inyong lahat! [applause]

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Watch here: Oath-taking of the Newly Promoted Generals and Flag Officers of the AFP

Location: Ceremonial Hall in Malacañan Palace, Manila