Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City
22 March 2016

President Benigno S. Aquino III reaffirmed the valuable and important role of the Philippine Army (PA) in maintaining peace and stability across the country by highlighting the transformation and achievements of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Modernization Plan which, according to him, is a vital component in serving and securing the Filipinos.

Speaking on the occasion of the Philippine Army’s 119th anniversary, President Aquino mentioned that there are 26 big projects allotted for the PA, with a total budget of PhP 7.79 billion. These will be used to enhance the Army’s preparedness, knowledge, and capabilities when it comes to their operations.

“Kasabay niyan, para sa hinaharap, nagpapatupad na rin tayo ng Army Transformation Roadmap 2010-2028 upang lalong mapalakas ang kultura ng epektibo at mabuting pamamahala sa inyong hanay,” assured the President.

Moreover, to ensure the safety and welfare of all the uniformed personnel, President Aquino talked about several incentives that will be given to them. These include the 61,000 housing units under the AFP-PNP Housing Program, livelihood programs and vocational training totaling 13,903 and 2,552 respectively for the Army personnel and their dependents.

As such, the President signed Executive Order 201 that will raise the monthly hazard pay, provisional allowance, and officers’ allowance of all uniformed personnel.

Being on his last term as the Commander-in-Chief, President Aquino expressed his gratitude to the whole AFP community for making the “Daang Matuwid” possible, saying that through all the hardships and efforts, the Filipinos are definitely worth fighting for.

“Ito na nga po ang Army at AFP na ipapamana natin bilang isang namamaalam na Commander-in-Chief. Isang hukbong napakataas ng moral at handang-handa para sa anumang hamon, isang hukbo na tangan ang pagkilala at respeto ng taumbayan, isang hukbong propesyunal at may matibay na mga prinsipyo,” President Aquino concluded.

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