AFP Peacekeeping Operations Center

Armed Forces of the Philippines Peacekeeping Operations Center
Centro de Operaciones del Mantenimiento de Paz de las FFAA.

Unit Seal of the AFP Peacekeeping Operations Center
Active March 21, 2002 - Present
Country Philippines Philippines
Allegiance
Branch Uniformed Services Joint Service
Type Peacekeeping Unit
Role performs Peacekeeping
Size 1000+ Joint Forces Unit
Part of Under the Armed Forces of the Philippines
Garrison/HQ
Nickname(s)
  • Philippine Peacekeepers
  • PKOC
  • Peacekeepers
  • Blue Berets
  • Blue Helmets
  • Global Kawal[1][2]
Motto(s)
  • Pandaigdigang Kapayapaan
  • World Peace
  • Paz en todo el Mundo
Anniversaries March 21
Decorations
Philippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation Badge
Commanders
Current
commander		 COL ROBERTO T ANCAN INF (GSC) PA

The Armed Forces of the Philippines Peacekeeping Operations Center is one of the wide support units of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

It is tasked with the training, deployment, and management of Filipino international peacekeepers throughout the world.[2][3] and serves as the liaison of the Philippine Government with the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations.

The AFP PKOC trains and deploys Filipino peacekeepers from various units of the AFP. It also accommodates the training of peacekeepers from other uniformed services of the Philippines, such as the Philippine National Police, Philippine Coast Guard, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology,[4] and the Bureau of Fire Protection. So far, however, only the AFP and PNP has deployed peacekeepers to UN missions.

President Benigno Aquino III ordered the thorough review of all peacekeeping missions that the Philippines has participated in, or are currently contributing to, to ensure that the welfare of the troops are well taken care of. This came after Filipino peacekeepers assigned to UNDOF were captured and held by Syrian rebels after conducting a routine patrol.[5][6]

Past Commanding Officers

(1 March 2011 – 22 February 2015)

(19 April 2009 – 1 March 2011)

(4 February 2008 – 19 April 2009)

(15 February 2005 – 4 February 2008)

(27 January 2004 – 15 February 2005)

(23 April 2003 – 27 January 2004)

(1 March 2002 – 23 April 2003)[2]

Units

Base Units

Peacekeeping Missions

Philippine Air Force F-86 Sabres assigned to ONUC.
Filipino police officers serving with UNMIT in 2007.
Major General Natalio C. Ecarma III, current Undersecretary for Defense Operations of the Department of National Defense; 1st Filipino Head of Mission and Force Commander of a United Nations Peacekeeping Operation (UNDOF).

Africa

South America

Asia

Middle East

Female Peacekeepers

The AFP PKOC conforms to international standards of gender mainstreaming in UN peace support operations (PSOs), by deploying female peacekeepers to as many missions as possible.[14][15]

Since 2000, female Filipino soldiers have been deployed as contingent troops, their roles usually being administrative or clerical in nature; or as individually deployed peacekeeping force staff (now military staff officers) and military experts on mission.[1][2]

In 2000, the AFP sent its first female UN Blue Berets, all enlisted personnel, to UNTAET. Meanwhile, the AFP's first female commissioned officer to be hatted the UN Blue Beret was Major Josephine O Tanzo, Philippine Marines, who was part of the Fifth Philippine Contingent to Liberia.[10]

Notable Filipino UN Blue Berets

In 2000-01, Lt Gen de los Santos assumed the post of UNTAET Peacekeeping Force Supreme Commander. He led 8,500 personnel from 19 troop-contributing countries (TCCs) in the multidimensional peacekeeping operation that transitioned the Indonesian province of East Timor into the Republic of Timor-Leste.

In 2010-13, Maj Gen Ecarma assumed the post of UNDOF Commander and concurrent Head of Mission. He led 800 personnel from 10 TCCs in the traditional peacekeeping mission that was established to keep the peace between Israel and Syria, particularly in the disputed Golan Heights.

In 1963, ONUC mission authorities appointed Lt Col Rancudo as Commander of the ONUC Fighter Wing, the UN's first air force. He thus led pilots and air crew from Iran, the Philippines, and Sweden.

Part of the First Philippine Contingent to Haiti, Ssg Batomalaque was assigned as the driver of Lt Col Robert Casias, a high-ranking MINUSTAH peacekeeping force staff seconded by the United States Army. In April 2005, while inspecting the notorious Cité Soleil district in the Haïtian capital, Port-au-Prince, Casias and the rest of the MINUSTAH team came under attack by gangsters. Batomalaque swiftly responded by providing covering fire to Casias and other colleagues, in the process sustaining a fatal gunshot wound a few millimeters above the nape. For his display of heroism that cost him his life, Batomalaque was posthumously awarded the US Soldier's Medal. He is the sole Filipino UN Blue Beret to die by hostile fire.[2]

See also

References

Citations
  1. 1 2 3 Balao, Colonel Dante D and Annanette B Cruz-Salazar. Global Kawal. Quezon City, The Philippines: Armed Forces of the Philippines. 2008. ISBN 978-971-92556-3-5
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Ancan, Colonel Roberto T and Annanette B Cruz. Global Kawal: The Filipino Soldier in the United Nations Blue Beret (Second Edition). Quezon City, The Philippines: Armed Forces of the Philippines. 2015. ISBN 978-971-92556-4-2
  3. ↑ "The Philippine Armed Forces Capacity for United Nations Peacekeeping Operations". oai.dtic.mil. Retrieved 2014-05-12.
  4. ↑ http://www.bjmp.gov.ph/files/MOU_UNPeacekeeping%20Mission.pdf
  5. ↑ "PNoy orders review of all UN peacekeeping missions of Filipino soldiers abroad". interaksyon.com. Retrieved 2014-05-12.
  6. ↑ "Philippines wants better protection for UN troops". bigstory.ap.org. Retrieved 2014-05-12.
  7. 1 2 "AFP sends off peacekeeping missions to Haiti, Liberia - Yahoo News Philippines". ph.news.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2014-05-12.
  8. ↑ "Philippines to deploy more 100 peacekeepers in Darfur - Sudan Tribune: Plural news and views on Sudan". sudantribune.com. Retrieved 2014-05-12.
  9. ↑ "Philippines to send more UN peacekeepers to Haiti | Inquirer Global Nation". globalnation.inquirer.net. Retrieved 2014-05-12.
  10. 1 2 Alejandrino, Charlemagne S and Annanette B Cruz-Salazar. National Pride, World Peace. City of Pasig, The Philippines: Makabayan Publishing House. 2010. ISBN 978-971-94613-0-2
  11. ↑ "RP soldiers begin Golan peacekeeping mission | Pinoy Abroad | GMA News Online". gmanetwork.com. Retrieved 2014-05-12.
  12. ↑ "The New York Times". nytimes.com. Retrieved 2014-05-12.
  13. ↑ "RP deployment to UN peacekeeping mission hits all-time high : balita.ph". web.archive.org. Retrieved 2014-05-12.
  14. ↑ "PHILIPPINES: PHL Pushes For Participation Of Women In UN Peacekeeping - News Library - News & Events - PeaceWomen". peacewomen.org. Retrieved 2014-05-12.
  15. ↑ "RP to send more women peacekeepers - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos". globalnation.inquirer.net. Retrieved 2014-05-12.
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