Thank you to our National Defense Secretary, Secretary Gilbert Teodoro. [Please take your seats.]

The Special Assistant to the President Secretary Anton Lagdameo; the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, General Romeo S. Brawner; Commanding General of the Philippine Army, Lieutenant General Roy Galido; officers, enlisted personnel, and civilian employees of the Armed Forces of the Philippines; my fellow workers in the civilian government; ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon.

It is with a good deal of pride that I preside over the Philippine Army Change of Command Ceremony. 

We congratulate then Army Commanding General, now AFP Chief of Staff General Romeo Brawner Jr. for completing your tour of duty and developing the Army into the progressive and resilient force that it is today. 

Under your leadership, we have established a firm defense against insurgency and terrorism by dismantling guerilla fronts and intensifying our peace-building efforts. 

Through your initiatives to fortify our internal security, the Army has contributed to the development of conflict-affected communities and our overall progress as a nation. 

For all these and more, I extend my utmost respect, gratitude, and admiration. I truly wish you all success in your honorable endeavor now as the Armed Forces Chief of Staff. 

And let me now welcome and congratulate our 66th Philippine Army Commanding General, Lt. General Roy M. Galido. [applause]

And as you take the reins of the Army, I wish to remind you that the success of an organization depends on our willingness to work persistently with the citizenry and with the civilian government. 

I urge everyone to strive towards building an Army that is agile, adaptable, and competitive, works well together with its partners and stakeholders, and especially our citizens. 

I know that the journey towards this vision will test the limits of your character, but with the supervision, dedication, and perseverance of Lt. General Galido and the rest of our troops in the Philippine Army, I am confident that we 

can rightfully achieve this in no time at all. 

To our incoming Commanding General, Philippine Army, I have worked with you just for a short time, but in that little time I have seen you flourished in your command and I have seen the good work and the successes that have come from that good work that you have put in in your previous command as a Westmin Commander.

I look forward to working with you further and I am confident that you will guide the Army to reach more milestones in our campaign to end in our country the insurgency and [terrorism] threat, as well as to address the lingering and emerging threats to now our national security. 

We challenge you to lead and boost your institution’s engagements with its foreign counterparts. I urge the entirety of our Army to enhance your interoperability and communications, as well as to learn best practices through training and joint exercises, which we intend to further expand. 

I look forward to your plans to protect the shared identity that our past and present generations have built, and to transform the Army into a world-class force that is a source of our country’s security and peace and pride. 

As your President and Commander-in-Chief, I assure you that this Administration is committed to supporting you by modernizing the Army and the Armed Forces of the Philippines. 

Hand in hand, we will work together to heighten the internal and external security of the Philippines to create a more conducive environment for the comprehensive growth and empowerment of our people. 

Once again, congratulations to our new Commanding General of the Philippine Army. 

Mabuhay ang ating Army! Mabuhay ang ating AFP! Mabuhay ang Pilipinas! Maraming salamat sa inyong lahat. [applause] 

--- END ---

Watch here: Philippine Army Change of Command Cermony

Location: Fort Andres Bonifacio in Taguig City