2019 METROBANK FOUNDATION OUTSTANDING FILIPINO AWARD FOR SOLDIERS

BRAVING WARS AND PERSONAL BATTLES: THE FACE OF TODAY’S MILITARY HEROES

When a soldier takes oath to serve the country, he upholds to perform with honor to secure the land and serve the people. This means that a soldier has to prioritize his responsibility to the motherland over his own life — even his family. To be a soldier is to be a hero, naturally.

Thus, every year, the Metrobank Foundation awards exemplary military personnel, who are considered the most heroic among heroes in the sector. These soldiers embody the ultimate faith, dedication and grit as they overcome daily challenges in the line of duty.

This year, the three honorees are: Master Sergeant Ramil Caporas PA, Team Supervisor/EOD Technician, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Battalion, Army Support Command, Philippine Army (Camp Servillano S. Aquino, Capas, Tarlac); Major Romulo Dimayuga II PN(M), Former Operations and Training Officer, Force Reconnaissance Group, Headquarters Philippine Marine Corps (Fort Bonifacio Taguig City); and Lieutenant Colonel John Paul Baldomar PA, Chief, Current Operations Branch, Internal Security Operations Division (ISOD), Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, J3, Armed Forces of the Philippines (Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo, Quezon City).

MARAWI’S LEAD EXPLOSIVE ORDNANCE DISPOSAL EXPERT

“My source of fulfillment as a soldier is when I can render safe or defuse a bomb without any harm, accomplish my mission to serve the people and secure the land, and go home to my family safe and sound,” expressed Caporas.

He was deployed in Marawi for the whole duration of the combat and led a team of explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) experts tasked to recover and dispose Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and Unexploded Ordnances (UXOs) during the five-month battle. Their expertise resulted in the recovery and proper disposal of over 1,000 IEDs, ensuring the safety of the troops inside the war zone.

Caporas was able to use raw materials available in the area to create an explosive, called “Bintana,” which was instrumental to the assaulting troops. The frame-like contraption was used to breach walls of buildings, which served as staging points of attack for government forces while under hostile enemy fire.

Outside high-risk operations, Caporas conducts IED Recognition and Safety Awareness trainings and Bomb Threat Management seminars.

PHILIPPINE NAVY’S SPECIAL OPERATIONS WARFIGHTER

“The sad side of being true to my sworn duty… Not being able to be with loved ones and losing them without us by their side because duty calls can be very painful. All of us soldiers have this strong commitment to this noble profession — others first before ourselves,” said Dimayuga as he remembered not being at his father’s side when he passed away.

His father, a former soldier, was nevertheless the key that triggered his passion for serving the country, and continues to be one of his strong motivations to create a difference in his own way.

In 2006, his leadership as a platoon commander of a Force Recon Platoon in Sulu was key to crippling the top leadership of the most notorious terrorist group in the country. Meanwhile, his stints as Intelligence Officer of Marine Battalion Landing Team-4 and Operations Officer of Marine Battalion Landing Team-12 from 2013 to 2014 and 2017 to 2018, respectively, marked his crucial role in the successful counter-communist insurgency operations against lawless groups in Northern Palawan. In 2014, Palawan was declared “Zone of Sustained Peace, Development and Prosperity.”

AFP’S COMMUNITY AND ORGANIZATIONAL TRANSFORMATION WARRIOR

“I believe this is my purpose: to serve others and fight for those who cannot defend themselves. Every time I go out to do my job, I always think that I am doing this so that my family and the Filipino people would peacefully sleep while I and the entire Armed Forces of the Philippines are standing on the line fighting for their safety.”

Baldomar’s heart for the people is best reflected in the initiative he spearheaded back in 2001, when he was assigned with Bravo Company, 37th Infantry Battalion, 6th Infantry Division, Philippine Army and subsequently became its Company Commander. In this capacity, he rallied his troop in responding to the plight of the 95 internally displaced Tiruray families at Sitio Kyamko (Hill 224), Barangay Maitumaig, Datu Unsay, Maguindanao.

Years after helping the tribe become a self-sufficient community, Baldomar together with a few volunteers helped in shaping the next breed of leaders of the AFP and the Philippine National Police (PNP) through the “Transforming Leaders Initiative,” a transformation initiative that was eventually adopted by the International Graduate School of Leadership to be part of its leadership program.

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On the occasion of Metrobank’s 57th anniversary, it honors another batch of exemplary teachers, soldiers and police officers. By fostering excellence and paying tribute to these professions, more Filipinos are encouraged to dream big and achieve more in life. Through the promise of meaningful banking, more dreams can turn into reality.

Tags: 2019 News