Major Rosa Maria Cristina Manuel
MANILA – A former army spokesperson in Mindanao Major Rosa Maria Cristina Manuel has been named as the new public information officer for the Army Artillery Regiment in Palayan City in Nueva Ecija province just outside Manila.
Colonel Leandro Loyao III, the regiment commander, said Manuel will also head the Civil Military Operations office. “I am optimistic that by designating her, the public will be aware about the contribution of the so-called artilyeros or kanyoneros in the over-all campaign of the Armed Forces of the Philippines in winning the peace through Bayanihan while gearing towards achieving our goals in Artillery Capability Development in line with the Army Transformation Roadmap,” Loyao said.
He said Manuel is the first public information officer since the creation of the Army Artillery Regiment in 2007.
Hardworking officer
Manuel, who was previously assigned with the 10th Infantry Division under Eastern Mindanao Command headquarters in Davao City in Mindanao, also specializes in artillery operations.
Her former colleagues said Manuel is a hardworking officer and is a known “workaholic” and one of the best spokespersons the army had in Mindanao. She is also active in civil and humanitarian missions and member of various civic groups.
Children’s Month Celebration
Loyao’s announcement also coincided with the start of the month-long celebration of the 22ndNational Children’s Month where the Army Artillery Regiment launched educational activities with dozens of school children from the Wells of Wisdom Foundational Learning Center.
The students along with their parents and guardians were accorded with package tour around selected Fort Magsaysay facilities. The children were overwhelmed in the capability demonstration performed by the artillery personnel since it was their first time to see 105mm Howitzer cannons.
“We showcase our capabilities to our visitors as our way of informing them that our weapons symbolize peace. We only used them when havoc caused by criminal armed groups greatly affects soldiers and most specially the women, children and elders,” Loyao said.
He said soldiers and students also planted mahogany seedlings in one of the areas in Fort Magsaysay which was devastated by Typhoon Santi last year. They also watched a film about the army that added up to their learning about the soldiers’ concern for their welfare. Guests from JCI Duwaling and Cabanatuan Golden Grains educated the children about anti-bullying through a localized independent film produced and directed by one of its members Jojo Matias, from Cabanatuan City.
“This is indeed a great experience for our students since it’s our first time to enter a military camp and mingle with very kind and accommodating soldiers. We plan to include this kind of tour again for our students next year,” said Pastor Roland Barrientos, the school president.
Army Artillery Regiment, a major combat support unit of the Philippine Army, has 7 Field Artillery Battalions deployed in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao and directly supporting infantry units not only in times of skirmishes or battles with various armed groups, but also active in helping communities and sustaining the environment by alleviating its conditions caused by either natural or man-made disasters. (Mindanao Examiner)
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