A “MISTAH” of President Macapagal-Arroyo in Philippine Military Academy Class 1978 took the helm of the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ National Capital Region Command (NCRCom) Saturday.

Maj. Gen. Reynaldo Mapagu replaced Maj. Gen. Jogy Leo Fojas, who reached the mandatory military retirement age of 56, as chief of the 1,300-strong NCRCom in rites at AFP headquarters, Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.

In his speech, AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Victor Ibrado commended Fojas for his leadership of military relief and rescue operations last month when Metro Manila went under water in the wake of Tropical Storms “Ondoy” and “Pepeng.”

“General Fojas’ accomplishments are too many to mention in detail. Suffice it to say that as NCRCom commander, he led the command in securing the country’s premier region,” said Ibrado said of his mistah (classmate) in PMA Class 1976.

Ibrado directed the incoming NCRCom commander to actively engage the troops in sociocivic activities in the metropolis, especially in disaster preparedness campaigns of the government.

“We saw what recent natural disturbances can do to the metropolis and this is a great opportunity for our troops in Metro Manila to show their mettle,” Ibrado said.

Before his appointment, Mapagu headed the Philippine Army’s 10th Infantry Division in Southern Mindanao.

Mapagu belongs to the PMA class that adopted President Arroyo as a mistah. Marlon Ramos