53IB commander promotes hybrid leadership for success in warfare, engagements, diplomacy
The Philippine Army’s 53rd Infantry “Matapat” Battalion (53IB) presented its best practices in the conduct of Battalion Infantry Operations in the recently-concluded Battalion Commander’s Symposium on November 9-11, 2020 at the Division Conference Room, 1st Infantry “Tabak” Division (1ID) Headquarters, Camp Sang-an, Labangan, Zamboanga Del Sur.
The Philippine Army Headquarters through the Army Leadership Development and Education Center (ALDEC), Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), Philippine Army implemented the Battalion Commanders’ Symposia 2020 online for Western Mindanao-based Battalion Commanders via Video Teleconference (VTC) with 1ID as the host Philippine Army Major Unit (PAMU).
With the theme “Leading the Effort to End Insurgency and Terrorism,”
The activity aimed to increase the leadership acumen and situational awareness of the Battalion Commanders in order to achieve the Armed Forces of the Philippine’s mission.
During the symposium, 53IB Commanding Officer Lt. Col. Jo-ar Herrera presented the Battalion Infantry Operations Best Practices his fellow Battalion/Unit Commanders
In his presentation, Lt. Col. Herrera apprised the audience of the unit’s Area of Operations, confronted challenges, gains and opportunities, analysis, best practices and lessons learned, and perspective on End Local Communist Armed Conflict (ELCAC) projects.
53IB’s best practices include Command and Leadership where Lt. Col. Herrera encouraged his fellow battalion commanders to practice hybrid leadership which is necessary not only for success in warfare, but in other aspects of engagements and diplomacy.
“This hybrid leadership entails reinventing oneself, identifying the cultural problems, considering the level of elasticity and practicing ‘big picture thinking,’ and understanding new rules of fighting,” Lt. Col. Herrera said.
Lt. Col. Herrera also shared the 53IB’s maximization of Combined Arms Operations and Joint Operations where he acknowledged the presence and game-changing contributions of Philippine Army Engineers and Philippine Air Force in the conduct of Army operations.
He also shared the unit’s conduct of Small Unit Operations and continuous conduct of small unit leadership trainings, community engagements, using link-node analysis in intelligence operations, interplay of Infantry Battalion Operations and Information Operations, and establishment and optimization of ELCAC clusters such as Strategic Communication and Legal Cooperation Clusters.
53IB was recently recognized as the unit garnered the highest score among 102nd Infantry Brigade operationally-controlled units in the Annual General Inspection (AGI) for the year 2020.
In closing, Lt. Col. Herrera thanked 1ID Commander Maj. Gen. Gene Ponio for hosting the said activity. “It is not just the unit’s pride to be recognized, but also a fulfilling experience to share the unit’s best practices,” Lt. Col. Herrera said.