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.
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