A TESTIMONIAL parade and review was held Tuesday in Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City in honor of outgoing Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, a retired Army general who assumed the top defense position on July 1, 2016.
AFP chief Gen. Andres Centino said the ceremony was the AFP’s “acknowledgment of the contribution and service of the SND (secretary of national defense), a collective salute and appreciation of his life in government service.”
“Today’s honoree deserves no less than our snappiest salutes and our loudest cheers,” he said.
Lorenzana, who is scheduled to transfer the DND leadership to officer-in-charge Jose Faustino Jr on Friday morning, thanked the military for its help.
“When I look back at my military career that started when I was a cadet in high school, followed by my cadetship in the Philippine Military Academy, commissionship in the Army and all throughout those years until today, I couldn’t have achieved what I have done or reached this high, this far, without the help, assistance, and mentorship of so many people along the way,” said Lorenzana.
“Of course, it is also because I belong to a very professional organization — the Armed Forces of the Philippines. I have no regrets, I have fought the good fight. It was all an exciting, challenging, and personally rewarding journey,” added Lorenzana.
The military said Lorenzana was “relentless in advancing” the implementation of the AFP modernization program, enabling the military to better perform its mandate of protecting the people and securing the state.
Centino said Lorenzana “was also on top of the pressing need to ensure that our personnel would have the technical proficiency to utilize the modern assets and equipment to the fullest.”
The military cited Lorenzana for his leadership in dealing with the 2017 siege of Marawi City perpetrated by members of the terrorist group Maute Group and the COVID-19 pandemic, among others.
It also said the salaries of soldiers increased due to Lorenzana’s “commitment and support,” and decent homes were provided, especially to families of soldiers who were killed in action.
“Today, the AFP can say we have better work spaces, living quarters, medical health facilities, and road networks, all of which means a stronger, more productive, and more responsive AFP,” Centino also said.
