Daughter follows footsteps of medal of valor awardee father

By Carlito Dar

FORT DEL PILAR, Baguio City, -- Following the footsteps of her  medal of valor awardee father,  newly commissioned 2nd Lt. Precious Jewel Forrosuelo is joining the Philippine Army.

Forrosuelo  is  a member of  the  223-strong Philippine Military Academy  Siklab Diwa (Sundalong ikarararangal ng lahing bayan is a diwang wagas) Class of 2014  who graduated  March 16 at  Fort del Pilar here.

She is one of  the 19 females of the class  commissioned  by National Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin  as second lieutenant and ensigns of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

A great influence in her life was her father, T/Sgt. Claudio Forrosuelo,  who  was posthumously awarded with a medal of valor in 2000, for showing courage and gallantry in action during the military’s all-out war against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in Camp Abu Bakar, Maguindanao.

With the award, the Forrosuelo family received other rewards and assistance from government such as educational assistance for   children   including Jewel’s guaranteed slot in the PMA.

The medal of valor award is  the highest award given to a military personnel of the AFP.

Jewel’s   entering the PMA was a real challenge. Being a female and a child of an MOV,  the expectations were high  but taking her father’s sacrifices for their family and the nation as an inspiration, she overcame  all challenges  with flying color  finishing 18th in the roll  of  the PMA class of 2014.

 “Continuing the legacy of my father’s heroism would not be easy. Nevertheless, I would not let it be wasted. Though I may not overtly display courage in combat most of the time because of women’s physiological differences with men, the same courage can be manifested through moral integrity and by standing firm on the upright principles of  courage, integrity and loyalty…that they have learned from the academy”, Jewel said.

President Benigno Aquino III, the AFP Commander-in-chief,  in his keynote message to the Class of 2014 commencement exercises,  urged graduates to bring the academy’s honor code and their principles of courage, integrity and loyalty outside of PMA and help in boosting the citizenry’s belief in the AFP’s credibility and effectiveness in bringing lasting peace and development to the country and the Filipino people.