Congresswoman Sworn in as a Commissioned Officer of AFP Reserve Force

Even Filipina women can take charge of defending the nation from threats.

Compostela Valley 1st District Rep. Maria Carmen Zamora-Mabanglo recently proved that this was far from being a myth when she took her oath as a newly commissioned officer in the military’s reserve force at Davao del Norte Sports and Tourism Complex in Tagum City.

Zamora-Mabanglo is a member of Masters in National Security Administration (MNSA) Class 53 who finished the regular course early this month. Having completed the course made her a new member of the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Reserve Force with the rank of lieutenant colonel.

The congresswoman is now part of the Philippine Army’s Reserve Force.

Addressing an audience that included men in uniform during her ceremonial donning of rank, Zamora-Mabanglo said the occasion was “very significant” as it coincided with the nationwide celebration of National Women’s Month.

Making the event happened in March that is usually marked by events honoring the resiliency of Filipino women brought home the message that “women can do their role in issues like national security,” she said.

“After all, national security is not just a military dimension. It is political, economic, socio-cultural, techno- scientific and environmental and in any of these dimensions, every woman like me can be part of national security,” she added.

Zamora-Mabanglo recalled how she evolved from a youth leader whose concern dwelt only on games to become a legislator who took maternal and child care as her primary interests.

She came to a point where she decided to level up her role, taking up national security which she once thought as a dimension of service “just for men in uniform.”

“As I evolved as a woman, I took the challenge of taking part in your field, proving that a woman can actually be part on issues like national security,” she said, drawing applause from military and local government officials.

The congresswoman could have chosen the easy path towards acquiring the MNSA degree from the National Defense College of the Philippines (NDCP) but she instead took “the road less traveled,” drawing inspiration from colleagues in Congress.

Last year, she went through the regular course of studying at the NDCP. She attended classes beginning at 8 a.m. and rushed out of the school campus at 4 p.m. to attend the legislative sessions.

She hurdled the rigors of a military training that included simulated armed encounters. She recalled with a chuckle that in these “firefights,” Deputy Speaker Mercedes Alvarez was part of her mock enemies.

She relished the experience to visit the provinces that host some of the AFP headquarters. Just the same, it was difficult for her to cope with a greater amount of stress as she had to stretch her travel to Pagasa Island in the West Philippine Sea and to Italy just to complete her studies of national defense.

“It was not easy,” she admitted.

The MNSA is a one-year master’s degree program that gives a holistic view of the principles and dynamics of national security and students will undergo nine course works, strategic planning exercises and a rigorous military training as a requirement for their commission into the military’s reserve force as lieutenant colonels.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana presided over the donning of rank ceremonies.

According to military tradition, the donning of the rank insignia is meant to publicly recognize an individual’s appointment in the AFP.

Zamora-Mabanglo thanked the Department of National Defense for granting her the scholarship, saying her donning of rank insignia serves as a reminder that “every civilian can take part in national security.”

Addressing the women in the audience, she concluded: “This is not just a field of men in uniform. We can do our part. We have options how we can contribute.”  (PIA XI/ Jeanevive Duron Abangan)