UN peacekeepers honored

MANILA, Philippines - Amid concerns about the safety of Filipino peacekeeping teams in other countries, 12 uniformed personnel were honored last week during the celebration of International Day of United Nations (UN) Peacekeepers.

Seven soldiers and five policemen were feted for their outstanding performance as members of Philippine contingents sent to Haiti, East Timor, Golan Heights, South Sudan, Liberia and Haiti.

The 12 awardees received plaques of meritorious recognition for their contribution to the UN peacekeeping missions.

 The awardees from the military were Brig. Gen. Daniel Lucero, Col. Abraham Casis, Col. Cornelio Valencia Jr., Lt. Col. Eugenio Boquio, Lt. Cmdr. Willester Robles, Maj. Ann Marie Gerodiaz and Senior Master Sgt. Hernani Montero.

The policemen who were recognized for their peacekeeping efforts were Senior Supt. Antonio Viernes, Supt. Nestor Tiempo, Supt. Arvin Molina, SPO2 Susan Lagmay and SPO3 Christopher Reaño.

“We learned a lot during our tour of duty. We learned to appreciate human rights, which is very important. We also realized the importance of communication with other countries and respect for different cultures,” said Reaño, who was deployed to Liberia in 2011.

Reaño said his task as a regional commander enabled him to appreciate more his job as a policeman.

The awarding coincided with the 50th anniversary of the deployment of Filipino peacekeeping contingents to the UN. The Philippines first joined UN peacekeepers in Congo in 1963.

Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said the UN is grateful for the Philippines’ contributions to maintain international peace.

“No less than the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations has observed the noteworthy contributions of the Philippines in the success of our international peacekeeping endeavors,” Gazmin said.

We are confident that all Filipino peacekeepers shall carry out their duties and responsibilities ,bearing in mind the core values of professionalism, integrity, and service,” he added.

Gazmin cited the need to provide ample equipment to the Filipino peacekeeping teams, who are tasked to protect civilians, disarm threat groups and reintegrate former rebels.

“The challenge then is for our peacekeepers to learn new sets of skills and develop their capacity to address emerging trends in peacekeeping operations,” he said.