Seven residents from the CHICKS Area in southern Negros Occidental will be commissioned as second lieutenants in the Philippine Army during the graduation rites of the Officer Candidate Course (OCC) on Saturday, July 4, at Camp O’Donnell in Capas, Tarlac.
Five of the officers are graduates of OCC Class Gundayaw: 2LT Earl M. Cabadon, PA, and 2LT Jan Amera L. Ibañez, PA, both from Barangay Camingawan, Kabankalan City; 2LT Jerald M. Dionzon, PA, of Barangay 9, Kabankalan City; 2LT Jersam Aureje Monterola Jr., PA, of Barangay Culipapa, Hinoba-an; and 2LT Vincent Diesta, of Barangay Manalad, Ilog.
They are joined by two graduates of OCC-ROTC Class Talagilab: 2LT Jane Marianne S. Buhat, PA, of Barangay Tagoc, Kabankalan City, and 2LT Abcde Faith T. Taquiso, PA, of Barangay Binicuil, Kabankalan City.
The Officer Candidate Course is the Philippine Army’s one-year commissioning program that develops qualified civilians and enlisted personnel into military officers through intensive training in leadership, military skills, and character development.
The seven newly commissioned officers come from Kabankalan City, Hinoba-an, and Ilog—local government units that form part of the CHICKS Area, a collective term for Candoni, Hinoba-an, Ilog, Cauayan, Kabankalan City, and Sipalay City in Negros Occidental.*
Reymund Titong is a Filipino journalist steadily building his voice in the field of news reporting, driven by a commitment to tell meaningful and relevant stories.
He serves as a correspondent for Rappler, contributes to Negros Daily Bulletin, and maintains a blog on Medium.