Brig. Gen Ferdinand S. Razalan assumes the helm of AFP General Headquarters and Headquarters Service Command.(Photo courtesy of the AFP) MANILA-The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Tuesday announced the appointment of Brig. Gen. Ferdinand S. Razalan, the new General Headquarters and Headquarters Service Command (GHQ&HSC) chief. Col. Jorry Baclor, AFP public affairs office chief, said Razalan officially replaced Brig. Gen. George Joel N. Lalaquil effective April 11. Lalanquil is set to head the Philippine Army (PA)'s Installation Management Command in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig. "The acting AFP Vice Chief-of-Staff, Vice Admiral Rommel Anthony SD Reyes, presided over the change-of-command ceremony held at the Tejeros Hall, AFP Commissioned Officers Club in Camp Aguinaldo," he said. Prior to his appointment as GHQ&HSC chief, Razalan gained extensive knowledge and experience from 11 years of service in the Nueva Ecija-based 7th Infantry Division. He was adjudged as the best company commander and battalion intelligence officer on separate occasions. Razalan was also assigned to Northern Luzon Command, spearheading the surrender of a New People's Army (NPA) guerrilla unit commander in Tarlac and the capture of an NPA regional secretary in Baguio City in 2003. "I am truly confident in Brig. Gen. Razalan's potential to bring more accomplishments to the GHQ&HSC as he had done in his former designations. I implore the officers, enlisted personnel, and civilian human resources of this Command to remain committed to supporting your Commander and not lose sight of your mission and vision," Reyes said. On the other hand, Lalaquil was recognized for his accomplishments in leading the command at the height of the AFP's efforts to curb the consequences of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic. "Brig. Gen. Lalaquil led his men and women towards dutifully ensuring the uninterrupted operations within Camp Aguinaldo, and fostering an environment conducive to the mission accomplishment of the AFP while taking the health and safety of his personnel into consideration," Reyes said. (PNA) }