New Navy chief vows to have more training programs

By Alexis Romero

The Philippine Star, Wednesday, January 5, 2011

New Navy chief Rear Adm. Alexander Pama yesterday vowed to implement training programs to enhance the competence of Navy personnel.

“In the area of competence, I would like to pay particular focus on educating and training our personnel in order to equip our sailors, Marines, airmen, seabees and support and maintenance personnel with new skill sets,” Pama said in a speech during the turnover rites the Navy headquarters in Manila.

“This is to prepare them to operate and maintain material assets that are newly acquired or those planned for acquisitions,” he added.

Pama said he will also focus on instilling discipline among members of the Navy and at the same time seek the upgrading of equipment.

Pama assumed his post as Navy chief yesterday in a change of command ceremony led by President Aquino.

Present were Vice President Jejomar Binay; Muntinlupa Rep. Rodolfo Bia-zon, himself a former AFP chief; AFP chief of staff Ricardo David, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim, and Cavite Rep. Jose Emilio Abaya, among others.

Pama, a member of Philippine Military Academy Class ’79, succeeded Navy chief Rear Adm. Danilo Cortez, who has reached the mandatory retirement age of 56.

He had held important military positions like Navy vice commander, Navy inspector-general, and Naval Forces Western Mindanao chief.

He was also head of the Task Force Trillium, a joint military and police group formed to address the abduction incidents in Basilan. Pama also served as the commanding officer of six Navy vessels.

David, meanwhile, said the military would conduct a nationwide survey to determine the sentiments of the public toward the military.

He said the conduct of the survey is in line with the implementation of the new internal security plan “Bayanihan.”

The survey may be conducted in areas affected by insurgency and armed conflict like Davao, Caraga, Bicol, Negros, Samar, and Cotabato to determine the military’s weak points.The plan, which took effect last Jan. 1 and will be in force until 2016, focuses on development projects to address the roots of rebellion.

There were speculations that some ground commanders oppose the new security plan but the military leadership denied this.

Dagdag benepisyo sa mga sundalo pangako ni P'Noy

Taliba, Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Muling nangako ngayon ang Pangulong Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III na makakaasa ang mga sundalo ng karagdagang benepisyo maliban sa dinobleng combat pay.

Magugunitang simula ngayong Enero, mula sa dating P240, magiging P500 na ang kada araw na combat pay ng mga sundalong napapasabak sa operasyon.

Ginawa ng Pangulo ang talumpati kasabay ng turnover ceremony ng Philippine Navy leadership kung saan pormal nang umupo si Rear Adm. Alexander Pama bilang bagong Flag Officer in Command (FOIC) kapalit ng nagretirong si Rear Adm. Danilo Cortez.

Sinabi ng Pangulo na alam nitong kakarampot lamang ang naibigay na dagdag combat pay kaya patuloy sila sa paghahanap ng pondo para sa kanilang benepisyo.

Kabilang dito ang mga benepisyong pangkalusugan, pabahay at iba pang pangangailangan para mapataas ang morale ng mga sundalo.

Kasabay nito, todo-papuri naman ang Pangulo kay Cortez habang ipinaabot din nito ang pagtitiwala kay Pama na pamunuan ang Philippine Navy.

Nangako rin ito ng buong suporta sa bagong liderato ng Hukbong Pandagat.

"Pero kung may paraan naman po tayong dagdagan ang inyong benepisyo, bakit naman po namin ito ipagdadamot sa inyo, hindi po ba? At tuloy-tuloy na po ito. Mula sa armas, hanggang sa mga barko; mula sa mga benepisyong pangkalusugan, hanggang sa mga pabahay, titiyakin nating makakatanggap ng sapat na pabuya at sustento ang ating hukbong-dagat," ani Aquino.

Bagong navy chief, pormal nang nanungkulan

Saksi sa Balita, Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Pormal nang nanungkulan bilang bagong commander ng Philippine Navy si Rear Admiral Alexander Pama.

Pinalitan ni Pama ang nagretiro nang si Rear Admiral Danilo Cortez.

Si Pama ay miyembro ng Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Class '79.

Ginanap ang turnover of command sa Phil. Navy headquarters sa Maynila na dinaluhan ni Pangulong Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III.

Bago maging pinuno ng Navy, nagsilbi si Pama bilang vice commander ng Hukbong Pandagat at naging Naval Inspector General.

Naging kumander din ito ng Naval Forces sa Western Mindanao at ng Anti-Terrorism Task Group ng Philippine Navy.

Dati itong chief of staff ni dating Defense Sec. Gilbert Teodoro.

Samantala, kasabay naman ng kaniyang pagretiro ay ginawaran si Cortez ng Philippine Legion of Honor na may degree na commander.

Samantala, kasabay ng change of command ceremony, tiniyak ni Pangulong Aquino na susuportahan ang modernization program ng Phil. Navy.

Malaki aniya ang ginagampanang papel ng Hukbong Pandagat partikular sa pagbibigay proteksyon sa karagatan ng bansa partikular kung saan may mga oil exploration kagaya ng Kalayaan Group at Malampaya.

By Willy Perez

The Philippine Star, Wednesday, January 5, 2011

President Aquino looks on as incoming Navy chief Rear Adm. Alexander Pama (right) salutes his predecessor, Rear Adm. Danilo Cortez, during the formal turnover of command at the Philippine Navy headquarters in Manila yesterday.

Change of Command

The Manila Times, Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Retiring Rear Admiral Danilo Cortez (left), President Benigno Aquino 3rd and newly installed Philippine Navy chief Rear Admiral Alexander Pama salute one another during turnover ceremony at Navy headquarters on Roxas Boulevard in Manila on Tuesday.

He's In

People's Journal, Wednesday, january 5, 2011

New Navy chief Rear Admiral Alexander Pama salutes his predecessor Rear Admiral Danilo M Cortez during the turnover ceremony yesterday. President Benigno Aquino pledged to modernize the country's ageing naval fleet.

Tempo, Wednesday, January 5, 2011

President Aquino witnesses the change of command between the incoming navy chief, Rear Admiral Alexander Pama (right), and retiring Rear Admiral Danilo Cortez at the Philippine Navy headquarters in Manila yesterday.

By Jack Burgos

Hataw, Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Iginawad ni Pangulong Benigno Simeon Aquino III ang "welcome salute" kay bagong Flag Officer in Command Philippine Navy Rear Admiral Alexander Pama sa ginanap na Philippine Navy turn-over ceremonies sa PN Headquarters, Naval Station Jose V Andrada, Roxas Boulevard, Maynila kahapon. Pinalitan sa pwesto ni Pama ang nagretirong si Rear Admiral Danilo Cortez.

Police Files Tonite, Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Sinaksihan ni P-NOY ang change of command sa Pagitan nina incoming Navy chief Rear Adm. Alexander Pama (kanan) at nag retirong si Rear Adm. Danilo Cortez.

By Tony Cunanan

X-Files, Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Ginanap kahapon ang pagsasalin ng tungkulin at bandila na pinangunahan ni Pangulong Noynoy Aquino mula kay Outgoing Rear Admiral Danilo M. Cortez AFP kay Rear Admiral Alexander P. Pama AFP at sinaksihan nina Vice-President Jojo Binay, Manila Mayor Alfredo S. Lim at Rep. Rodolfo Biazon sa Naval Public Affairs HQ Phil. Navy Naval Station Jose V Andrada 2335 Roxas Blvd., Manila

Palace studies Malaysian firm's offer to lease Navy property

BY MBC

Tempo, Wednesday, 06 October 2010

An offer of a Malaysian company to lease the 33-hectare Philippine Navy (PN) property at Fort Bonifacio Taguig is now being evaluated by Malacanang, Rear Admiral Danilo M. Cortez told the Senate yesterday. Appearing before the Senate finance committee chaired by Sen. Franklin M. Drilon, Cortez said the lease under the label of Public Private Partnership (PPP) of the Aquino administration was expected to bring in about 1"1 billion annually to the national coffers as "profit sharing." Cortez identified the foreign firm as Malaysian Resources Corporation Berhad MRCB).

In his July 26 State of the Nation Address (SoNA), President Benigno S. Aquino III disclosed his plan to lease out the Navy property to a private sector under his PPPscheme. Cortez said the lease papers, technically termed as an "unsolicited proposal," are now with Executive Secretary Paquito OChoa. Senate President Juan Ponce Emile, former Defense minister of the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos, cautioned Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Department of National Defense (DND) that developers would "not give you a free ride" as the PN property is a very valuable property.