Lieutenant General Ricardo A. David Jr. AFP is the current Commander of the Northern Luzon Command, Armed Forces of the Philippines, which is the AFP unit that oversees the security and preserves the peace in the communities of North and Central Luzon.
He was born in 1955 in the town of San Fernando, Pampanga, but spent most of his childhood in Victoria, Tarlac. His humble beginnings instilled in him the value of hard work, perseverance, and faith in God which are essential in his pursuit of a professional career and other personal goals.
Since the start of his primary education in Dolores Elementary School of Dolores, San Fernando, Pampanga in 1961, his desire to develop himself and his abilities was already deeply imbued in him, which paved the way for him to graduate at the top of his class in 1967. With the same grit and determination, he continued his journey in order that he could hone his intellectual capabilities. This enabled him to graduate from Victoria High School in Tarlac as the salutatorian of his class in 1971. Aside from his academic achievements in high school, he also garnered the highest rating in his class’ Preparatory Military Training course.
As he pursued further studies in the field of engineering at St. Louis University in Baguio City, he was awarded a scholarship in the said institution for his exceptional academic records and performance. His desire to serve his country, however, brought LtGen David inside the walls of the Philippine Military Academy on April 1, 1973. He was trained there for four years and molded to become a true and faithful servant of the nation. Upon graduation from the Philippine Military Academy on March 1, 1977, he began his illustrious military career as a second lieutenant in the Philippine Army.
He spent his military career in various units of the Philippine Army and of the Armed Forces of the Philippines in different parts of the country. Some of his assignments are as follows: He saw action as a combat officer in Mindanao from 1977-1983. He commanded the 50th Infantry Battalion of the 5th Infantry Division, Philippine Army from December 1996 to April 1998. Having firmly established his leadership and management competence, he led the 402nd Infantry Brigade, Philippine Army from March 2005 to December 2006. This was followed by his management of the AFP Command Center until August 2007. Afterwards, he commanded the Army Support Command until April 2008, then the 4th Infantry Division, Philippine Army until June 2009. Eventually, he was assigned to lead the Northern Luzon Command, AFP to date.
LtGen David achieved these accomplishments by always aiming for the best in everything he does, through the continuous enhancement of his abilities and through the various trainings he received, both here and abroad. He successfully completed his tours of duty in the aforementioned command positions, aside from his innate commitment to excellence and hard work, through the military training he has undergone.
Some of his other academic accomplishments are as follows: He finished at the top of his class in the Ammunition General Supply Course and the Special Forces Operation Course, second in his class in Field Artillery Officer Basic Course, third in class in his Comptrollership Officer Basic Course, and an honor graduate in the Command and General Staff Course. He also took several courses in foreign military institutions, a number of which include the Field Artillery Officer Advanced Course in the U.S. Army Field Artillery School, the Overseas Joint Warfare Course in the Australian Joint Warfare Center, the International Defense Management Course and the Senior Executive Seminar at the Marshall Center, Germany.
He took his Master of Arts in Security Studies at the Naval Post Graduate School, Monterey, California and Master in Business Administration from Xavier University in Cagayan de Oro City. Ltgen also completed the Basic Management Course at the Asian Institute of Management
As a seasoned military commander, LtGen David strongly adheres in the persistent pursuit of our national security objectives, through a consultative approach with other stakeholders and under a broad partnership with other sectors of the government and private entities. This is best exemplified by his contributions as division commander of the 4th Infantry Division, Philippine Army and as co-convener in the establishment of the CARAGA Council for Peace and Development (CCPD), which brought together stakeholders in the CARAGA region to focus their efforts into addressing various issues in the area. LtGen David also encouraged the creation and strengthened the existing church-military advisory councils and the ugnayan centers, which has the similar aspirations as that of the CCPD, in North and Central Luzon.
As a responsible servant of the nation, LtGen David firmly believes that as the AFP drives itself to achieve its mission; the organization must carry out its tasks with utmost respect to human rights and international humanitarian law; that a person’s right to life, liberty, and property cannot be compromised; that an individual shall not be deprived of such rights without due process of law. He shares these beliefs constantly with his subordinate commanders and vows to hold them accountable if they commit any transgression in this regard. His purpose is to contribute in the strengthening of the military organization as an institution of the Filipino nation.
As a leader, LtGen David puts the welfare of those under his command as his top priority. He believes that looking after the needs of the men and women under his command and ensuring that they are receiving whatever is due to them are but a simple reminder of the organization’s appreciation for their sacrifices for country and people.
As an individual, LtGen David actively participates in various sports activities such as cycling, running, bodybuilding, badminton, and golf. During his spare time, he reads books, magazines, and other materials on various topics. He also enjoys solving puzzles, like sudoku.
LtGen David, who is fondly called Ric, Jun, or Dabong by his superiors and peers, is happily married to the former Miss Merilou Malacay of Cagayan de Oro City. They are blessed with two sons, Russell, a naval officer and a graduate of PMA class 2005, and Rommel, a licensed electronics and communications engineer.
Cocoy Dayao has written 556 articles on this blog.
Cocoy is an Internet entrepreneur, technology enthusiast, political junkie and social observer who enjoys a good cup of coffee, comic books, and tweets as @cocoy on twitter. He publishes The Multiverse, a weblog that covers pop culture, as well as Lab Rats that talks about Apple, Social Media and Technology. Cocoy is also the Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief of the ProPinoy Project. He regularly contributes political commentary at BlogWatch.ph, and writes about the technology sector for the Philippine Online Chronicles. "Conservative in what we say, Liberal in what we accept."
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