As a commander, you have to lead from the front – Magalong

April 7, 2019 Community Billboard

As a commander, you have to lead from the front. You have to be in the field with your troops while accomplishing your mission.
You must look after their welfare and safety and make sure everyone goes home to their family,” thus explained retired Philippine National Police (PNP) director Benjamin Magalong when asked how a true leader should head his troops in times when it is needed the most.
When it comes to government action, he said that government services should also be made accessible, available, and affordable to the people.
We must do away with policies that make our people wait in long lines just to be served, or told to return in vain for follow-up. We must make our constituents feel and experience government service at its finest.
When it comes to tourism, we should lead in re-shaping our tourism promotion to make it a shared enterprise activity that is all inclusive, where everyone benefits from tourism visits.
We will advocate for tourism dispersal under an equitably shared partnership between Baguio and La Trinidad, Itogon, Sablan, Tuba and Tublay (BLISTT) and encourage host communities to propagate a culture of tourism.
New promotional thrusts will be advanced to encourage self-discipline and self-responsibility among tourists, especially in caring for our environment, our culture and traditions.
Full government support should also be extended to our partners in the arts, culture, creative, and heritage conservation sectors, befitting the city’s being declared by the United Nations as the only Philippine city granted membership in the UN Creative Cities Network.
We should maintain constant engagement and active involvement with these sectors to encourage appropriate activities meant to enliven the cultural scene and strengthen harmonizing efforts of varied indigenous and traditional cultural practices, as well as commit support for heritage site preservation.
Magalong was born, raised and educated in Baguio from parents who hail from Pangasinan. He grew up in the mountains surrounding the Binga, Tinongdan, and Itogon areas.
He studied in SLU Elementary School and Laboratory Boys High School then at the Philippine Military Academy where he graduated in March 1982.
In a statement, he said “I have been morally guided by the values instilled in my character by my family and from my schooling years”.
He said that the words: ‘Character makes a Man’ is his personal pillar that provided him strength, courage, and conviction in all his endeavors.
“In my stint as Regional Director of PNP Cordillera in 2011-2013, I humbly helped achieve peace in the area where we implemented a successful c o m m u n i t y – b a s e d peacekeeping strategy that accords due respect to elders and local traditions,” Magalong said.
He also said that his public life has been with the Philippine National Police, where he ascended the ladder of command responsibility.
“The last three assignments I served are as Regional Director of the Police Regional Office Cordillera; as Director-General of the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group; and as Deputy Chief for Operations of the PNP until my retirement in December 2016”.
 
ABN