Good Boholanos are everywhere, from Owac to Timbuktu . Yet, it is the great Boholano who always makes the difference, especially if by great is meant the highest national position in the government beaurucracy. Among the few whose greatness is attained at the prime of their fruitful lives, Vice Admiral Rogelio Calunsag is presently heading the pack of Boholano career professionals. I first heard of him May of last year when I chaired the TOBAW (Ten Outstanding Boholanos Around the World) search, which culminated with an impressive awarding ceremony at the Bohol Tropics Resort Club in July. Our first meeting took place during the awards night. At that time the top post of the Philippine Navy was about to be vacated, and he was touted to be next in the line of succession. Our second meeting was at the Bohol Cultural Center on February 10, when he was honored with a formal dinner and program by the Provincial and City Government after he assumed office as Flag Officer In Command of the Philippine Navy. This was when this interview took place.

LMP: I don't know now how I will address you. Maybe perhaps you could apprise me with your present rank or position.

RIC: Thank you Loy. My rank is Vice Admiral of the Philippine Navy.

LMP: Is this highest rank in the Philippine Navy today?

RIC: Yes, it is.

LMP: Is that the same as the Commanding General, of the Army?

RIC: The rank Vice Admiral is a three-star rank, and if you are designated as the Flag Officer In Command of the Philippine Navy, this is equivalent to the Commanding General.

LMP: Have you been expecting this particular promotion?

RIC: As a graduate of the Philippine Military, of course. It is everybody's dream in the Military to become someday the head of the Navy, Air Force, or Army.

LMP: But not just everybody could attain that dream, only a selected few. What do you think would be some of the qualifications that made you reach that height?

RIC: In the military service, you have to follow the step-ladder; and of course, your performance is very vital.

LMP: Basically the most important thing is performance. Which means to say that right from the moment when you graduated from the PMA, you have been doing well. Can you recount again the important assignments that you had right after graduation?

RIC: Right after graduation, I joined the Philippine Marines, that was in 1974, and when Jolo town as burned by the rebels we were the first unit to respond and were sent to that place in Jolo.

LMP: Was that your baptism of fire?

RIC: Yes, in fact, and unfortunately, four of my classmates died in that bloody encounter.

LMP: Fresh graduates?

RIC: Yes. After that I boarded different types of ships in the Philippine Navy, went to several schoolings here and abroad, foremost of which were in the US and Australia .

LMP: But of course, this particular schooling that you have mentioned cannot be given just to anybody.

RIC: It is also very competitive. All of us had to prove our worth.

LMP: Now we understand that because of your job you seldom come to Bohol , in fact the last time we met was when you were awarded the TOBAW (Ten Outstanding Boholanos Around the World). Can you describe your affinity with your relatives, and the Boholanos whom you could consider as some of the ingredients that made you what you are now?

RIC: I would like to correct you there. It's not seldom that I come to Bohol . About every three months, I am here. Only for a night or two and I just spend my time with my family. Nothing spectacular.

LMP: Is family affiliation very important in your career?

RIC: Yes, we have a very strong family affiliation.

LMP: Would you say that among the Boholanos it's one of the strongest traits?

RIC: Yes, I've gone all over the Philippines , from Batanes to Jolo, and I tell you that a unique culture of the Boholanos is to be very close to the family.

LMP: In fact, you are bringing your sister with you right now.

RIC: Yes, and all my relatives. The five of us, all of us are here. All my children are also here. My wife is also with me.

LMP: How many children do you have?

RIC: I have three, one boy and two girls.

LMP: Are they still studying?

RIC: No, they have all graduated and are working.

LMP: Did you not encourage them to follow your footsteps in the Navy?

RIC: Unfortunately, my only son did not join the military. He took up medicine but was not able to finish medicine and he ended up marrying. He also has a job.

LMP: Oh, marrying is one best profession in the world, as long as you are prepared for it.

RIC: Yes, correct.

LMP: Sometime last week, there was this examination for entrance to the Philippine Navy. What was the result?

RIC: I am happy to report to you that Bohol , compared with other provinces, has very high passing average for the entire exam for the Navy. There were 169 who passed the exam for enlisted personnel and 43 passed for officers.

LMP: And how many were Boholanos among them?

RIC: Almost all of them are Boholanos.

LMP: That's beautiful; could it be because it was your influence that the examination was be made here?

RIC: No. The exam was competitive and my only legacy perhaps is I had the mobile team conduct the exam here in Tagbilaran for the convenience of the Boholanos.

LMP: So, as far as the Navy is concerned, we are expecting that there will be more Boholano officers coming up.

RIC: Yes.

LMP: To follow your footsteps, hopefully. Let's change topic. I don't know if you would like to talk about it, politics in the National Capital Region. How do you assess it? Is it something that is wholesome? Is it something that we could be proud of?

RIC: To tell you frankly, I'm not concerning myself with the political exercise.

LMP: Is that so? What are some of the projects that you have in mind now that you are the big boss?

RIC: In my acceptance speech, I just assumed the post last December 8, I lined up three things that I want to be focused on. Number 1, I want to uplift the conditions of our ships, and the skills of our personnel.

LMP: About our ships that are dilapidated, and need to be changed?

RIC: Yes.

LMP: Not world class, I suppose?

RIC: Not world class. We are maintaining old ships.

LMP: But are they still serviceable.

RIC: Yes.

LMP: But you would like to improve them. But that needs a lot of money. Where's the budget?

RIC: I'm asking the higher-ups, because we have a 5-million-peso modernization fund every year, and I'm haggling that the Navy should be given a fair share of that modernization fund, so we can upgrade the inventory of ships that we have. In addition, I'm making all possible ways of being able to obtain new ships.

LMP: But that is also quite expensive.

RIC: Yes, But I have some ideas on how to go about it.

LMP: Not entirely appropriation from our coffers, the national office?

RIC: I'm looking at a multiyear approach.

LMP: How is that?

RIC: It is like getting a loan and paying it over the years.

LMP: Ah, so that's possible?

RIC: Yes, that's possible. We are working on it. Deferred payment, or multiyear payment; you pay it in ten or fifteen years.

LMP: What are the other plans that you have?

RIC: The training of our personnel. I'm improving the capability of our training institution. The rationalization of our training command and putting in more resources. We will be coming up with a capital, meaning my engine men will do the overhauling of engines by themselves. So it's a hands-on scheme. This is the direction that I want to achieve. And of course, lastly, is the welfare of the men.

LMP: Meaning to say, there are still a lot of things to do to make them contented.

RIC: Exactly.

LMP: What are these things you have in mind?

RIC: For their morale and welfare, I'd like to improve how the men get medical attention.

LMP: Is that not existent as of now?

RIC: It is existent but it's not adequate. I have observed several things that we can improve on.

LMP: Like what?

RIC: For example, a soldier who is wounded in action in Jolo; when he is hospitalized, I see to it that the Navy will spend for his medical expenses.

LMP: Let's go to the geographical structure of the Philippine Navy. We start with the National Office.

RIC: The Navy is divided geographically into naval forces, we have in the north, what we call the Naval Forces North, and then in the Bicol Region, we have the Naval Forces South. In the Central Visayas , we have Naval Forces in Cebu , and on the west, Naval Forces West in Palawan . Then there's the Naval Forces Western Mindanao in Zamboanga, and Naval Forces Eastern Mindanao based in Davao . We have 6 naval forces.

LMP: How many people are involved?

RIC: At the headquarters that would be about a 150 people and the attached units would go up to about 300, plus the personnel of the ships attached to them. We have 10 ships in a naval force, and in each ship's personnel is about 200.

LMP: So all in all, in the entire country, how many people are under your command?

RIC: The whole Navy, we are all 22,000 strong.

LMP: That's a big number. How about the officers?

RIC: The Navy has 2,000 officers.

LMP: You know, from the layman's point of view, like in my case, thinking about 22,000 it's scary. How you could manage and exercise full control, for instance. But, of course, with you who has been used to it, I don't think there is any problem. You rose from the ranks and that's the most important thing when it comes to promotion. So, there's nothing political about it; it's just that you deserve it. So, in this gathering that we have tonight, may I know the feeling that you have?

RIC: I am very much honored and privileged and in fact speechless to be given this recognition.

It is easy to decipher the braggart from the honorable, the obnoxious from the admirable. Yet, a person may be humble and still has his pride intact. Such is the case of Vice Admiral Rogelio Calunsag. I met him again last February 23, during the annual general membership celebration of BAMMI (Bohol Association of Metro Manila, Inc.), held in Intramurus, Manila . He was one of the honorees of the formidable organization. In the brief chat we had, I again saw an accomplished man, who doesn't like to talk about politics.