General Antonio G. Nafarrete of the Philippine Army, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), presided over a Donning of Ranks Ceremony for 13 newly promoted generals and flag officers at Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City, on Monday, November 9, 2026.
The ceremony, according to the AFP Public Affairs Office, was announced in a press release issued the same day by Colonel Xerxes A. Trinidad, Chief of the AFP's Public Affairs Office.
Senior Officers Among the Newly Promoted
Lieutenant General Benedict D. Balaba of the Philippine Army is Commander of the Intelligence Command, AFP. Lieutenant General Moises L. Micor of the Philippine Air Force is Commander of the Visayas Command, AFP.
Rear Admiral Marco N. Buena of the Philippine Navy is Deputy Chief of Staff for Education and Training, J8, according to the AFP Public Affairs Office press release.
Ten Other Newly Promoted Officers
Ten other officers also donned their new ranks. Brigadier General Bladimer B. Caluya of the Philippine Marine Corps is Chief of Staff of the Joint Sustainment Command, AFP.
Commodore Archibald Dino C. Delfin of the Philippine Navy is Commander of the Logistics Support Command, AFP, while Commodore Michael G. Barrion of the Philippine Navy is Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Financial Management, AJ10.
Brigadier General Cezar J. Conte Jr. of the Philippine Army is Chief of Staff of the Strategic Command, AFP. Brigadier General Rizaldo N. Laurena of the Philippine Army is Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Reserve Force Development, AJ9.
Brigadier General Emmanuel A. Canilla of the Philippine Army is Chief of Staff of the Intelligence Command, AFP, and Brigadier General Ruben G. Aquino of the Philippine Army is Chief of Staff of the Civil-Military Operations Command, AFP.
Brigadier General Randy N. Espino of the Philippine Army is Deputy Chief of Intelligence Service, AFP. Commodore Ariel C. Halasan of the Philippine Navy is The Provost Marshal General, AFP.
Philippine Military Academy
Brigadier General Leah L. Santiago of the Philippine Army is Commandant of Cadets of the Philippine Military Academy, according to the AFP Public Affairs Office.
AFP Cites Leadership Development as Central Purpose
In its press release, the AFP Public Affairs Office stated that the donning of ranks ceremony "underscores the AFP's commitment to developing strong leaders and building a professional, competent, and mission-ready organization in service of the Filipino people."
General Nafarrete personally donned the new rank insignia on each of the 13 officers during the ceremony at Camp Aguinaldo, according to photo captions released by the AFP Public Affairs Office.
Photo credit: Photo courtesy of AFP Public Affairs Office / PFC Carmelotes PN(M)