PEOPLE in two Mindanao regions are generally satisfied with the performance of the Army's 4th Infantry Division (4ID), according to the Multi-Sector Advisory Board (MSAB) Thursday.
"Public satisfaction rating of the 4ID is on the rise," said MSAB chairperson Ariel Hernandez.
Hernandez even said officers and personnel of the division got a high client satisfaction rating on their services in Northern Mindanao and Caraga.
One of the key drivers of increasing satisfaction with the AFP was its respondents felt safer with the military’s presence in their community.
4ID got 88.86% and 85.18% satisfaction ratings from Regions 10 and 13 respectively or an average of 87.02 percent in the two Regions.
The client satisfaction survey was conducted by Northern Mindanao State College led by its President, Dr. Catherince Roween C. Almaden from June to August 2020 in Region 10 and from September to October 2020 in Caraga Region.
It aims to determine the satisfaction and trust of the people in the services provided by the military.
Some of the questions asked during the survey were; whether the military is effective in their community outreach and dialogue including information exchange.
Also whether the military is effective in conducting security operations in addressing peace and security concerns among others.
It also aims to identify weaknesses and gaps in the 4ID’s campaign so that it can be adjusted or modified accordingly to deliver what’s best for the people.
“We are not surprised by the survey’s result considering that 4ID has a very comprehensive roadmap that guides its soldiers in performing its mandate of protecting the people within its area of responsibilities,” said Hernandez.
However, Hernandez said that the result should serve as a warning for 4ID not to be complacent in their work because one soldier’s mistake or abuse may diminish the satisfaction and trust of the people to the military.
To attain perfection may be hard but there is no other way for 4ID to go but forward in its transformation journey, according to Hernandez.
“While we congratulate 4ID for this feat, we also would like to remind its officers and personnel to sustain the gains by maintaining a professional and disciplined soldiers in performing its mandate.
He said that continued advocacy on the objectives of the Army Transformation Roadmap shall be conducted from the highest unit down to individual soldiers.
“Reminding them that to serve and protect the people means respecting their rights at all times and listening to their concerns and suggestions,” he said.
“It is really necessary to have 3rd party surveys to be able to listen to the voices of the people on the ground,” Hernandez said.
This undertaking is commendable, the board is ready to advocate this initiative to the Philippine Army’s MSAB in Manila for other major units to emulate,” Hernandez stressed.
Meanwhile, 4ID commander Maj. Gen. Andres Centino thanked the members of the MSAB during its meeting on November 5, 2020, for guiding the division on its journey to become a world-class Infantry Division that is a source of national pride by 2028.
“To become a world-class army, first we need to become professional soldiers loved by the people in our area of operation,” said Centino.
He said that it’s very heart-warming to know that their clients, the people of Northern Mindanao and Caraga were satisfied with their services especially in sustaining the peace and providing security to their communities.
The multi-sector advisory board is composed of leaders with integrity who came from private sectors, regional agencies, academe, religious sector and elected officials.
Their mission is to see to it that 4ID is performing in accordance with the highest standard of public service.
The board is headed by Hernandez, the Senior Adviser to Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, and the Vice-Chairperson NEDA-10 director Mylah Faye Aurora B. Cariňo. (Ben Balce)
