Alexander B. Yano

Last updated
Alexander Badong Yano
Alexander Yano (cropped).jpg
General Alexander B. Yano
37th Chief of Staff
of the Armed Forces of the Philippines
In office
May 12, 2008 –May 1, 2009
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Preceded by Gen. Hermogenes Esperon
Succeeded byGen. Victor Ibrado
Personal details
Born Sindangan, Zamboanga del Norte, Philippines
Nationality Filipino
Spouse(s)Estela Aragon
Children1
Alma mater Saint Vincent's College
Cebu Institute of Technology
Philippine Military Academy (Class of 1976)
Military service
AllegianceFlag of the Philippines.svg  Philippine
Branch/service Flag of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.svg Armed Forces of the Philippines
Flag of the Philippine Army.svg  Philippine Army
Years of service1976-2009
Rank US-O10 insignia.svg General
Commands Armed Forces of the Philippines
Commanding General, Philippine Army
Commander, AFP Southern Luzon Command
Commanding General, 2nd Infantry Division, PA
601st Infantry Brigade, 6ID, PA

Alexander Badong Yano was the 38th Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the highest position in the AFP hierarchy. [1] His Vice Chief of Staff was Lt. Gen. Cardozo M. Luna and his Deputy Chief of Staff was Lt. Gen. Rodrigo F. Maclang. [2] Alexander Yano also served as the commander of the Philippine Army and Southern Luzon Command. He is also the first general born from Mindanao [3]

Armed Forces of the Philippines combined military forces of the Philippines

The Armed Forces of the Philippines are the military forces of the Philippines. It consists of the three main service branches; the Army, the Navy and the Air Force. The President of the Philippines is the Commander-in-Chief of the AFP and forms military policy with the Department of National Defense, an executive department acting as the principal organ by which military policy is carried out, while the Chief of Staff is the overall commander and the highest-ranking officer in the AFP. A previous attached branch is the defunct Philippine Constabulary, while the Philippine Coast Guard is a wartime attached service. Military service is entirely voluntary.

Lieutenant General Rodrigo F. Maclang, was the 36th Vice Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the second highest position in the AFP hierarchy. Rodrigo Maclang also served as the commander of the Northern Luzon Command, 5th Infantry (STAR) Division, and 8th Infantry (Stormtroopers) Division.

Philippine Army ground warfare branch of the Armed Forces of the Philippines

The Philippine Army is the main, oldest and largest branch of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) responsible for ground warfare. The Commanding General of the Philippine Army, its professional and overall head, is Lieutenant General Macairog S. Alberto, who took office on October 15, 2018. Its main headquarters is located at Fort Bonifacio, Metro Manila.

Contents

Background

Alexander Yano was born to the late Iñigo Yano and Gloria Badong, both retired public school teachers of Sindangan, Zamboanga del Norte. He is married to the former Estela Aragon from La Union, a retired military nurse, and blessed with a son, Ervin Andrew. “Alex” or “Boy” as he is fondly called is the eldest in a brood of 5, which include Philippine Defense and Armed Forces Attache Brigadier General Cesar B. Yano, a diplomat in Washington D.C. and also a Philippine Military Academy Class 1980 graduate.

Sindangan Municipality in Zamboanga Peninsula, Philippines

Sindangan, officially the Municipality of Sindangan,, is a first class municipality in the province of Zamboanga del Norte, Philippines. According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 99,435 people.

Zamboanga del Norte Province in Zamboanga Peninsula, Philippines

Zamboanga del Norte is a province in the Philippines situated within the Zamboanga Peninsula region in Mindanao. Its capital is Dipolog City and the province borders Zamboanga del Sur and Zamboanga Sibugay to the south, Misamis Occidental to the east, and the Sulu Sea to the west.

La Union Province in Ilocos Region, Philippines

La Union is a province in the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region in the island of Luzon. Its capital is the city of San Fernando, which also serves as the regional center of the whole Ilocos Region.

Education

He graduated from the public elementary school of said town in 1965 as Salutatorian and later studied in high school in Saint Vincent’s College in Dipolog City and graduated with honors in 1969. He initially took up 3 years of Civil Engineering studies in Cebu Institute of Technology before taking the entrance examinations of the Philippine Military Academy. He entered the prestigious military institution in 1972 and graduated in 1976. As a PMA cadet, he excelled more in athletics and extra-curricular activities. Among others, he established two (2) PMA athletic records, in high jump and 400-meter low hurdles. The hurdles record remains unbroken up to this day. As a graduating cadet, he was also the Regimental Adjutant of the PMA Cadet Corps, a coveted position that aptly recognized his early leadership potentials.

Salutatorian is an academic title given in the United States, Armenia, and the Philippines to the second-highest-ranked graduate of the entire graduating class of a specific discipline. Only the valedictorian is ranked higher. This honor is traditionally based on grade point average (GPA) and number of credits taken, but consideration may also be given to other factors such as co-curricular and extracurricular activities. The title comes from the salutatorian's traditional role as the first speaker at a graduation ceremony, delivering the salutation. In a high school setting, a salutatorian may also be asked to speak about the current graduating class or to deliver an invocation or benediction. In some instances, the salutatorian may even deliver an introduction for the valedictorian. The general themes of a salutatorian speech and valediction are usually of growth, outlook towards the future, and thankfulness.

Philippine Military Academy military academy of the Philippines

The Philippine Military Academy is the Philippine military school of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. It was established on December 21, 1936 by the virtue of Commonwealth Act № 1 or the National Defense Act. The Academy is located in the city of Baguio. It is the training school for future officers of the AFP.

He later on completed and topped in all his military trainings in the Philippines and abroad. Among these courses are the following: Special Forces Operations Course; Field Artillery Officers Course; Pre-Command Course for Battalion Commanders and the Command and General Staff Course. He also finished the Infantry Officers Advance Course in the US Army Infantry School, Fort Benning, and Georgia, United States and landed in the Commandant’s List as an Honor Graduate.

Fort Benning United States Army post outside Columbus, Georgia

Fort Benning is a United States Army post straddling the Alabama–Georgia border next to Columbus, Georgia. Fort Benning supports more than 120,000 active-duty military, family members, reserve component soldiers, retirees, and civilian employees on a daily basis. It is a power projection platform, and possesses the capability to deploy combat-ready forces by air, rail, and highway. Fort Benning is the home of the United States Army Maneuver Center of Excellence, the United States Army Armor School, United States Army Infantry School, the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation, elements of the 75th Ranger Regiment, the 1st Security Force Assistance Brigade, and other additional tenant units.

Georgia (U.S. state) State of the United States of America

Georgia is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. Georgia is the 24th largest and 8th-most populous of the 50 United States. Georgia is bordered to the north by Tennessee and North Carolina, to the northeast by South Carolina, to the southeast by the Atlantic Ocean, to the south by Florida, and to the west by Alabama. The state's nicknames include the Peach State and the Empire State of the South. Atlanta, a "beta(+)" global city, is both the state's capital and largest city. The Atlanta metropolitan area, with an estimated population of 5,949,951 in 2018, is the 9th most populous metropolitan area in the United States and contains about 60% of the entire state population.

Military career

Upon graduation from PMA, Yano was commissioned and called to active duty with the Philippine Army. He spent his early years in the military service mostly in combat assignments in Northern and Central Luzon and the provinces of Samar during the height of the CPP/NPA rebellion in the 70s and 80s. Yano hugged the limelight when, as Task Force Zamboanga Chief, he acted as overall ground tactical commander during the infamous Cabatangan crisis in 2001 that led to the successful release of over a hundred civilian hostages and eventually liberated the Cabatangan Complex in Zamboanga City from over 300 fully armed MNLF Breakaway Group elements. This crucial battle earned him the moniker “Liberator of Cabatangan” from the late City Mayor – Maria Clara Lobregat.

Central Luzon Region in Luzon, Philippines

Central Luzon, designated as Region III, is an administrative region in the Philippines, primarily serving to organize the 7 provinces of the vast central plains of the island of Luzon, for administrative convenience. The region contains the largest plain in the country and produces most of the country's rice supply, earning itself the nickname "Rice Granary of the Philippines". Its provinces are: Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac and Zambales.

Samar island of the Philippines

Samar is the third largest island in the Philippines. Located in eastern Visayas, within central Philippines. The island is divided into three provinces: Samar, Northern Samar, and Eastern Samar. These three provinces, along with the provinces on the nearby islands of Leyte and Biliran are part of the Eastern Visayas region.

New Peoples Army Armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines

The New People's Army (NPA) is the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP). It was formed and founded by Jose Maria Sison, Bernabe Buscayno, and Lucio Manlapaz on 29 March 1969. The Maoist NPA conducts its armed guerrilla struggle based on the strategical line of protracted people's war. With an estimated strength of nearly 3,200 militants in 2015, and latest attack as recent as 2015 in Agusan Del Sur, it operates in the rural areas throughout Philippines especially in the inaccessible hill areas of provinces far from the major cities.

After his duty tour in Zamboanga City, he was personally handpicked by then SOUTHCOM Chief Gen Roy Cimatu to command the 601st Army Brigade in SOCSARGEN at the height of terrorist bombings that rocked Gen Santos City in 2002. During his over two-year stint as Brigade Comdr, no single terrorist bombing occurred in General Santos City. He earned his 1st star-rank as Brigade Commander in 2003, the first in his PMA batch to become a General. He was also declared as “adopted son” of General Santos City in recognition of his invaluable contributions to that city.

He later served as Assistant Division Comdr of the 9th Infantry Division in Bicol and concurrently as Chairperson of the Government Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities with the MILF for his proven competence and abilities especially in understanding the intricacies of the Mindanao conflict. He then, briefly served as Chief of the AFP’s Civil Relations Service and concurrent AFP Spokesperson where he ably articulated the AFP’s position on various defence and security issues. With Gen. Generoso Senga as then Army Chief, Yano was personally plucked from Camp Aguinaldo to assume as Chief of Staff of the Philippine Army where he earned his Second Star (MAJ General) in April 2005, again, the 1st to earn said rank in his class.

As a testament to his exemplary achievements, he received various military awards, including: 4 Distinguished Service Stars; Philippine Legion of Honor (Degree of Officer); 4 Outstanding Achievement Medals; Gold Cross Medal for gallantry in combat; Bronze Cross Medal and 27 Military Merit Medals. He had also been twice awarded as “Most Outstanding Zamboanga del Norte Citizen” in 2003 and in 2005. He received the “Outstanding Alumnus Award” from St Vincent’s College in Dipolog City in December 2005. Likewise, he was conferred the “PMA Achievement Award” by PMA in Baguio City in November 2005. [4]

The Commission on Appointments (CA) finally confirmed on June 11, 2008, en masse several top government officials, including Yano amid walk outs by Senators Jamby Madrigal and Panfilo Lacson. [5]

On May 1, 2009, he retired one-month earlier and he was succeeded by Lt. Gen. Victor Ibrado of Philippine Army as the chief of staff. He's been appointed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as ambassador to Brunei Darrussalam. The reason for his early retirement is to prepare himself for the confirmation of his appointment by the Commission of Appointments by June 2009.

Awards

Military offices
Preceded by
Lt. Gen. Samuel Bagasin		 AFP Southern Luzon - Commander
31 July 2006 - 24 August 07		Succeeded by
Lt. Gen. Rodolfo Obaniana
Preceded by
Lt. Gen. Romeo Tolentino		 Philippine Army - Commander
24 August 07–12 May 08		Succeeded by
Lt. Gen. Victor Ibrado
Preceded by
Gen. Hermogenes Esperon 		Armed Forces of The Philippines - Chief of Staff
12 May 2008 - 1 May 2009		Succeeded by
Gen. Victor Ibrado

Political Career

Yano ran for Mayor of the Municipality of Sindangan, Zamboanga del Norte for the 2019 Philippine general election, but was defeated.

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References

  1. ↑ "New AFP Chief vows to decimate enemies of the state by 2010". Philippine Army. 2008-05-11. Archived from the original on 2008-09-02. Retrieved 2008-05-23.
  2. ↑ "AFP chief to soldiers: Pass physical fitness first before promotion". GMA News. 2008-05-13. Archived from the original on 2011-05-22. Retrieved 2008-05-23.
  3. ↑ Espejo, Edwin G. (2008-05-24). "Reigning over the Philippine Army: Will Yano succeed where others failed?". Mindanews. Archived from the original on 2008-10-11. Retrieved 2008-05-24.
  4. ↑ "Yano Gets 3rd Star Promotion". The Daily Dipolognon. 2008-11-23. Archived from the original on 2007-02-28. Retrieved 2008-05-23.
  5. ↑ abs-cbnnews.com, CA confirms Gonzalez, Puno and others [ permanent dead link ]
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