Featured Member: Benedict Arevalo

Benedict Arevalo, Lieutenant Colonel in the Armed Forces of the Philippines, is in charge of operations of six Area Commands north of Manila, planning and monitoring military operations in 22 provinces. Before this he was in charge of a battalion in Mindanao, where he was involved in several engagements with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

Benedict participated in PHAP’s Core Professional Training on Humanitarian Law and Policy as well as the Thematic Workshop on Engagement with Non-State Actors in May 2012 in Bangkok. When he was stationed in Mindanao, Benedict interacted with several humanitarian organizations in the area, and also took part in a basic course in International Humanitarian Law (IHL).

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PHAP is giving me a better understanding of the people I have worked with as a commander.

- Benedict Arevalo

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Coming to the PHAP courses in Bangkok has been the first time he has left his country for training in a civilian capacity. The exchange of ideas during the PHAP courses with individuals from different professional and geographical backgrounds has given him new and valuable perspectives on his work: “PHAP is giving me a better understanding of the people I have worked with as a commander,” Benedict says. “When I go back after this training, I will have a better appreciation of what the [humanitarian organizations] are doing. This will make me even more cooperative than before, now knowing and understanding more deeply the humanitarian engagement.”

Coming from a military family, his career choice came naturally to him, as it did for his five brothers. At the same time, he points out that many of his tasks are not of a strictly military nature. As he puts it, his work is to a large degree “concerned with managing people and with logistics, which requires a large variety of skills.” However, he has also been engaged in active conflict situations and has experienced many ambushes and roadside bombs. When asked what he sees as his greatest professional challenge, he answers “keeping my soldiers safe.”

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Interview conducted by Lena Zimmer      Text edited by Markus Forsberg