CHANGE OF COMMAND. Maj. Gen. Generoso Ponio (2nd from right), 1st Infantry Division commander, hands over the command flag to Lt. Col. Romulus Rabara (right, back to the camera), as the new commander of the 5th Infantry Battalion during a ceremony held in Camp Cesar Sang-an in Labangan, Zamboanga del Sur on Monday (May 18, 2020). Rabara replaces Maj. Jasper Brix Perez (left, back to the camera). (Photo courtesy of 1st Infantry Division)
ZAMBOANGA CITY – The Philippine Army’s 1st Infantry Division has assigned Lt. Col. Romulus Rabara, a special forces-trained officer, to head the 5th Infantry Battalion (IB) in Zamboanga del Sur.
Rabara assumed the post after a change of command ceremony in Camp Cesar Sang-an, Labangan, Zamboanga del Sur on Monday.
A member of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Class of 1998, he succeeded Maj. Jasper Brix Perez, who acted as officer-in-charge of the battalion upon its reorganizational training, when it was refilled and brought back to a maneuver battalion.
Rabara thanked the command of the 1st Infantry Division for the trust and confidence and believing in his capabilities by entrusting him with the position of battalion commander.
He also accepted the challenge and emphasized the teamwork in undertaking every endeavor and accomplishing the mission.
Maj. Gen. Generoso Ponio, commander of the 1st Infantry Division who presided over the turnover ceremony, commended Rabara and Perez for their professionalism and high sense of responsibility.
“I am confident enough that your (Rabara) leadership skills, capability, and resilience will spur the battalion to greater heights,” Ponio said. “Stay focused and do more for the unit. Always give your best shot and I can assure you of my full support. Let us work together for the success of the 1st Infantry Division."
Before his new post, Rabara served as executive officer of the 303rd Infantry Brigade of the 3rd Infantry Division, based in Murcia, Negros Occidental.
He completed a Masters of Industrial Relations and Strategic Human Resource Management Course at the University of the Philippines Diliman and earned his Masters in Public Management major in Development Security from the Development Academy of the Philippines. (PNA)
