MANILA, Philippines —The Philippine Navy (PN) on Sunday welcomed Major General Vicente Blanco III who assumed his post as the 37th commandant of the Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) during a donning of ranks ceremony on July 4 at the Marine Barracks Rudiardo Brown, Naval Station Jose Francisco in Taguig City.
PN Flag Officer-In-Command Vice Admiral Jose Ma Ambrosio Ezpeleta expressed confidence in Blanco’s capability to boost the Marines, officers, enlisted personnel, and civilian human resources under his command.
“From this moment forward, you are in charge of leading the Philippine Marine Corps in a dynamic global security environment. As you take the helm, sustain its transformation under the Active Archipelagic Defense Strategy and sharpen the Corps into a force that is not only the most ready, but also the most relevant—whether on land, at sea, or in the littorals, Ezpeleta said.
Blanco is a member of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) “Sambisig” Class of 1991, graduating 12th out of 218 cadets.
He has led the PMC in some of the most challenging operational environments, from his early deployments in Sulu, Palawan, Tawi-Tawi, and Quezon Province, to his command of the 4th Marine Brigade, and most recently, as PMC’s deputy commandant.
Blanco vowed to pursue a dynamic leadership and further elevate the PMC’s capacity for mission and combat.
“I do not seek to lead from above, but with you, among you, and for you. I ask only this: bring your best every day, in every task, in service of something greater than ourselves. Good enough is not good enough if it can be better; and better is not good enough if it can be best,” he said.
