A pinoy in the Golan Heights

MANILA, Philippines - “Ano ang gagawin ko doon (What am I going to do there?)”

This question crossed the mind of Maj. Gen. Natalio Ecarma III when he was told of his appointment as mission head and force commander of the United Nations (UN) team in the Golan Heights.

While the erstwhile deputy commandant of the Philippine Marine Corps has extensive experience as a soldier, he admitted that being assigned to the Middle East is something alien to him.

“It’s not that I did not like the assignment. Ang sabi ko, ang layo nun (it’s so far),” Ecarma told STARweek before he left for UN headquarters in New York last Feb. 14. 

“I do not have experience in the desert except during my ranger training. Besides, it is a totally different assignment. Although I have been involved with Muslims here, the Arab psyche is different from that of the Filipino,” he added.

“There is apprehension on my part because it’s something new… My concern was how am I going to lead and manage troops from different countries?” 

Ecarma said another concern was that he would have to leave at least for a year the projects he started in Sulu, such as his two Gawad Kalinga communities.

But Ecarma, a former Marine brigade commander in Sulu, did not decline the post, believing that being named to such a sensitive assignment is an honor.

But he clarified that he is not after the glamour or the glory, but views the new assignment as an opportunity to reach out to people, something that he has been doing in Mindanao.  

Ecarma, who specializes in counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism, graduated from the Philippine Military Academy in 1981, and earned a Master’s degree in military studies from the US Marine Corps University in 2002 and in national security administration from the National Defense College of the Philippines in 2005.  

He has held various key positions including assistant chief of staff for operations of the Presidential Security Group, Philippine Marine Corps Chief of Staff, and Brigade Commander of the Combat and Service Support Brigade.

When he was named brigade commander in Sulu in 2007, he pushed for peace and development initiatives and interfaith dialogue to ensure a harmonious relationship between Muslims and Christians. Ecarma required his Marines to undergo training on Islam and Tausug culture before reporting to their battalions.   

“They (people in Sulu) felt sad when they learned that I will be leaving (for Syria). I was moved to another assignment in May 2008 but I continued my projects there. I was then hoping that I would be reassigned in Sulu,” he said.   

“But I told them it may provide me with the opportunity to look for donors that can give them assistance. After all, they are all Muslims.” 

In New York, the Marine officer met with UN officials, who briefed him about his tasks. He left for Syria on Feb. 20 to be stationed in the UN Disengagement Observer Force headquarters in Camp Faouar. His wife Beverly and their children Nathan Charles and Nathan Christopher will remain in the Philippines.

 As force commander, Ecarma will handle around 1,200 UN soldiers and military observers tasked to ensure that limits to troop deployment are observed by both Syria and Israel, to avoid troop build-up which could escalate to attacks or violent incidents. 

But Ecarma said he will do more than that.

“I intend to engage with and face the locals. It is a big thing if the leader of the military force or the UN would reach out. I really want to know the pulse of the people from both sides, Israeli and Syrian,” he said. 

“That is our advantage. When troops from other countries are given a job, they would say: trabaho namin ito, huwag kayo tatawid, wala kaming pakialam (This is our job; do not cross the line; we don’t care). We Filipinos are compassionate. We would tell them: trabaho namin ito, kumusta na kayo? ano ang problema nyo? (This is our job; how are you? what are your problems)?” 

Ecarma believes that his experience in dealing with different groups in Sulu would help him perform his duties in the Golan Heights, a mountainous region that has become the subject of a bitter territorial conflict between Israel and Syria. 

“When I was studying the work of the UN, I realized that many of these are already being done here in the Philippines. We are used to things like multi-agency and multi-stakeholder dialogue. We know these things well,” he said.

Ecarma said engaging with the stakeholders would allow the troops to identify their concerns and better appreciate their plight.   

“There will be more understanding, more space, and tolerance. That is really the goal of UN. To achieve peace, there should be mutual respect and tolerance.”

Ecarma prepared for his new assignment by conducting research and asking advice from people who have worked in Syria. 

“I also took a senior mission leaders course in Tokyo offered by the Global Peace Operations Initiative, an NGO. It is a course for people who are slated to occupy positions like mine,” he said.

 His immediate goals are to familiarize himself with the terrain and the people and to visit stations under his jurisdiction. 

“My immediate instruction to my aide is to get a map and schedule my visits to the stations. I am a hands-on leader. I want to visit even the farthest detachments so I can find out in person their (troops) conditions. It helps with their morale. Then I intend to engage with local authorities in Syria,” Ecarma said. 

The Marine officer said his goal for his one-year mission is to help ease the conflict in the tension-filled area. 

“I know it is idealistic but I want to help settle the conflict. This is an important area. Once violence erupts in this area, we (Philippines) will also be affected,” Ecarma said. 

“I am not saying we are experts. Each situation is different. But having a heart will work wherever you are.”

He always tries to apply the acronym SHE when dealing with stakeholders – sincerity, humility and empathy. 

“Sincerity is when you deal with people and you really desire to address their problems. You are not after your scorecard or a good image. Humility is when you have a position and yet you talk to ordinary people. You listen to them and you don’t impose upon them your solution just because you think you know more. As for empathy, how will you understand people if you don’t know how to place yourself in their shoes?”

If he were not a soldier, he would either be a priest or a doctor – professions that would still involve much human interaction.

“That is where I find satisfaction, when I see that I am able to help people… When I was conducting projects in Sulu, I targeted not the politicians but the communities. They do not have political agenda. They will repay you with their honor and respect,” he said. 

Ecarma will retire in June 2011 when he turns 56. But despite achievements and accolades, he considers his having helped people as his most valuable achievement. 

“Awards and promotions will mean nothing once you retire. What is important is building relationships, friendships, respect and honor,” Ecarma said.