Andres Castor Centino (born February 4, 1967) is a retired

Philippine Army The Philippine Army (PA) () is the main, oldest and largest branch of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), responsible for ground warfare. , it had an estimated strength of 143,100 soldiers The service branch was established on December ...

general who currently serves as Presidential Assistant for Maritime Concerns to President

Bongbong Marcos Ferdinand "Bongbong" Romualdez Marcos Jr. (, , ; born September 13, 1957), commonly referred to by the initials BBM or PBBM, is a Filipino politician who has served as the 17th president of the Philippines since 2022. He is the second child ...

since September 28, 2023. Centino last served as the 57th and 59th

Chief of Staff The title chief of staff (or head of staff) identifies the leader of a complex organization such as the armed forces, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the supportin ...

of the

Armed Forces of the Philippines The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) () are the military forces of the Philippines. It consists of three main service branches; the Philippine Army, Army, the Philippine Air Force, Air Force, and the Philippine Navy, Navy (including the P ...

from November 2021 to August 2022 and from January to July 2023. He also previously served as the 63rd

Commanding General of the Philippine Army The Commanding General of the Philippine Army (CGPA) is the overall commander and highest ranking officer commissioned to serve in the Philippine Army. The position concurrently holds the three-star rank of Lieutenant General. The commanding ...

from May to December 2021.

Early life and education

Centino was born on February 4, 1967, in

Tacloban Tacloban ( ; ), officially the City of Tacloban (; ), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city on Leyte island in the Eastern Visayas region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, Tacloban has a popu ...

Leyte Leyte ( ) is an island in the Visayas group of islands in the Philippines. It is eighth-largest and sixth-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total population of 2,626,970 as of 2020 census. Since the accessibility of land has been ...

, and grew up in

Cebu City Cebu City, officially the City of Cebu, is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Central Visayas region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 964,169 people, making ...

Cebu Cebu ( ; ), officially the Province of Cebu (; ), is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, and consists of a main island and 167 surrounding islands and islets. The coastal zone of Cebu is identified as a ...

. There, he attended the University of the Philippines High School Cebu. His mother, Araceli (née Castor), was a school teacher and probation officer in the Parole and Probation Administration, and his father, Flaviano Centino, was a lawyer who served in the Armed Forces of the Philippines' Judge Advocate General Service Reserve Unit. In 1984, at the encouragement of his father, Centino entered the

Philippine Military Academy The Philippine Military Academy ( / ) also referred to by its acronym PMA is the premier military academy for Filipinos aspiring for a commission as a military officer of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). It was established on Decembe ...

. He graduated with a

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, B.S., B.Sc., SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree that is awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Scienc ...

degree cum laude as part of the 1988 Maringal Class and earned his commission as a second lieutenant of the

. Throughout his military career, Centino attended various military leadership and intelligence courses, including the

1st Scout Ranger Regiment The Scout Rangers, known officially as the First Scout Ranger Regiment, is a special operations forces of the Philippine Army (PA) that is specialized in combat patrols and scouting behind enemy lines in a special operations forces (SOF) style. ...

course, infantry officer courses, counterintelligence operations courses, and the Command and General Staff Course at the

Armed Forces of the Philippines Command and General Staff College The Armed Forces of the Philippines Command and General Staff College, known officially as the AFPCGSC or GSC, () is one of the training units of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. It is tasked with training future generals, as well as general ...

, where he finished as part of the top ten of his class. Centino also holds a

Master of Business Administration A Master of Business Administration (MBA) is a professional degree focused on business administration. The core courses in an MBA program cover various areas of business administration; elective courses may allow further study in a particular ...

from the School of Management of the

University of the Philippines Cebu The University of the Philippines Cebu (; ; also referred to as UPC or UP Cebu) is a public research university and the youngest constituent university of the University of the Philippines System located in Cebu City, the capital city of Cebu ...

, and a

Master of Science A Master of Science (; abbreviated MS, M.S., MSc, M.Sc., SM, S.M., ScM or Sc.M.) is a master's degree. In contrast to the Master of Arts degree, the Master of Science degree is typically granted for studies in sciences, engineering and medici ...

in National Resource Strategy from the

Eisenhower School The Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy (Eisenhower School), formerly known as the Industrial College of the Armed Forces (ICAF), is a part of the National Defense University. It was renamed on September 6, 20 ...

of the

National Defense University National Defence (or Defense) University (or College) may refer to: :''Alphabetical by country'' University * Marshal Fahim National Defense University, Afghanistan * National Defense University (Azerbaijan) * People's Liberation Army National Defe ...

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

Military career

Following his commission, Centino's assignments included Army General Staff Secretary in

Fort Bonifacio Fort Andres Bonifacio (formerly Fort William McKinley) is the site of the national headquarters of the Philippine Army (Headquarters Philippine Army or HPA) located in Taguig, Philippines. The camp is named after Andres Bonifacio, the revolutio ...

, 4th Infantry Division chief of staff, 26th Infantry Battalion commander, 401st Infantry Brigade commander, and Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Organization, and Training, J3 at

Camp Aguinaldo Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo (CGEA; formerly Camp Murphy), also known as Camp Aguinaldo, is the site of the general headquarters (GHQ) of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). It is located in Quezon City along EDSA, a major thoroughfare ...

4th Infantry Division

Centino assumed command of the 4th Infantry Division based in Camp Evangelista,

Cagayan de Oro Cagayan de Oro (abbreviated CDO and officially the City of Cagayan de Oro; ; Bukid language, Binukid: ''Ciudad ta Cagayan de Oro''; ; ) is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Regions of the Philippi ...

on May 28, 2020, and subsequently served as commander of Joint Task Force Diamond. Infantry operations against the

New People's Army The New People's Army (; abbreviated NPA or BHB) is the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP). It acts as the CPP's principal organization, aiming to consolidate political power from what it sees as the present "bourgeo ...

intensified within Centino's area of command even amidst the effects

COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines The COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines was a part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 () caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (). As of , there have been reported cases, and reported deaths, the fift ...

. He implemented the whole-of-nation approach in ending

communist armed conflicts in the Philippines The history of communist armed conflicts in the Philippines is closely related to the history of Communism in the Philippines, with various armed conflict linked to the armed wings of the various communist organizations that have evolved since 193 ...

outlined in President

Rodrigo Duterte Rodrigo Roa Duterte (, ; born March 28, 1945) is a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the 16th president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022. He is the first Philippine president from Mindanao, and is the oldest person to assum ...

's Executive Order No. 70, s. 2018. During his tenure, the 4th Infantry Division was lauded as a unit for its offensive operations against the New People's Army.

Commanding General of the Philippine Army

Centino was appointed

on May 18, 2021. In his initial message to the

, Centino laid out his priorities on the continued modernization of the army, meritocracy based promotion among its officers, and the recruitment of qualified aspirants to the uniformed service. The appointment came after the removal of then-acting Commanding General, Jose Faustino after having served for only 87 days. Faustino's appointment drew criticisms from Senator

Panfilo Lacson Panfilo "Ping" Morena Lacson Sr. (; born June 1, 1948) is a Filipino politician who is a senator-elect of the Philippines. He is also a former police general who served as director general of the Philippine National Police (PNP) from 1999 to 2 ...

during a

Commission on Appointments The Commission on Appointments (, abbreviated as CA) is a constitutional body which confirms or rejects certain political appointments made by the President of the Philippines. The current commission was created by the 1987 Constitution. Whil ...

confirmation hearing due to his ineligibility to the position even in an acting capacity based on Section 4 of Republic Act No. 8186.

Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines

On November 12, 2021, Centino was appointed

Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines The Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (CSAFP) is the highest-ranking military officer (except for the President of the Philippines, who holds the position of Commander-in-Chief equivalent to a five-star general) and the he ...

by President

. Centino's appointment was confirmed by the

with the concurrent rank of

general A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...

on January 26, 2022. The

2022 Philippine presidential election Presidential elections in the Philippines were held on May 9, 2022, as part of the 2022 Philippine general election, 2022 general election. This was the 17th direct presidential election and 15th vice presidential election in the country since 19 ...

coincided with Centino's tenure, and he directed the Armed Forces to ensure proper observance electoral procedure throughout the country and provide additional security during the campaign period and election day. The Armed Forces also worked to ensure a peaceful transition of power from the

Duterte administration Rodrigo Duterte's six-year tenure as the 16th President of the Philippines began on June 30, 2016, succeeding Benigno Aquino III. He was the first president from Mindanao, the first president to have worked in all three branches of governme ...

to the Marcos Jr. administration. Centino continued to serve under President

until August 8, 2022. Lieutenant General Bartolome Bacarro was appointed to the position to succeed him. Due to Centino's first appointment having taken effect prior to Republic Act No. 11709, his relinquishment of the Chief of Staff office did not retire him from military service. In line with previous legal precedent, his mandatory age of retirement was at 56 and he would continue to hold the rank of general until then. Consequently, because there can only be one 4-star general in active military duty at any given moment by law, Bacarro was prevented from promotion to 4-star general albeit occupying the concurrent Chief of Staff office.

Reappointment under the Marcos Jr. administration

On January 6, 2023, Centino was reappointed as the

by President

His reappointment under Republic Act No. 11709 granted him tenure past the previous mandatory age of 56. Centino served as Chief of Staff under President Marcos Jr. until July 21, 2023, and retired from military service.

Presidential Assistant on Maritime Concerns

Centino was appointed as Presidential Assistant on Maritime Concerns by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on September 28, 2023. The position holds the rank of

secretary A secretary, administrative assistant, executive assistant, personal secretary, or other similar titles is an individual whose work consists of supporting management, including executives, using a variety of project management, program evalu ...

and is under the Office of the President.

Personal life

Centino is married to Sheila Sy Sucalit, and together they have three sons and a daughter.

Awards and decorations

Centino has received the following awards and decorations:

National awards

* August 8, 2022:

Philippine Legion of Honor The Philippine Legion of Honor (; ) was established by President Manuel Roxas, through Philippine Army Circular No. 60 dated July 3, 1947. The Philippine Legion of Honour, Honor was patterned after the Legion of Merit of the United States of Amer ...

, Rank of Chief Commander * July 21, 2023:

, Rank of Chief Commander

Military decorations

Distinguished Service Star The Distinguished Service Star is the third highest military award of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. It is awarded for eminently meritorious and valuable service rendered while holding a position of great responsibility. Description of the ...

with four bronze anahaw leaves * Gawad sa Kapayapaan Medal * Gold Cross Medal * Silver Cross Medal * Meritorious Achievement Medal * Chief of Staff, AFP Commendation Medal *

Bronze Cross Medal The Bronze Cross MedalThe AFP Adjutant General, ''AFP Awards and Decorations Handbook'', 1997, OTAG, p. 29. is a single grade military decoration of the Armed Forces of the Philippines which is awarded for "heroism involving risk of life" under c ...

Silver Wing Medal This Silver Wing Medal is a military decoration awarded by Armed Forces of the Philippines to Philippine and allied military personnel. The Silver Wing Medal is awarded in only one class, and may be awarded by the List of AFP Chiefs of Staff, Chief ...

* Military Merit Medal with four silver and one bronze anahaw leaves * Sagisag ng Ulirang Kawal Medal *

Military Civic Action Medal The Military Civic Action Medal is a military decoration of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. It is awarded for meritorious achievement in the conduct of humanitarian civic actions in direct support military operations. Criteria The Military C ...

* Parangal sa Kapanalig ng Sandatahang Lakas ng Pilipinas Medal with two bronze anahaw leaves *

Military Commendation Medal The Military Commendation Medal is a military decoration presented to members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. It is presented for exemplary execution of military duty. Description The medal is a three-pointed star, made of bronze color ...

with one bronze equilateral triangle

Campaign and service medals

* Long Service Medal with three bronze service stars * Anti-Dissidence Campaign Medal * Luzon Anti-Dissidence Campaign Medal with two bronze service stars * Visayas Anti-Dissidence Campaign Medal with two bronze service stars * Mindanao Anti-Dissidence Campaign Medal with one bronze service star * Disaster Relief & Rehabilitation Operation Ribbon with two bronze service stars * Kalayaan Island Group Campaign Medal * Northern Maritime Frontier Campaign Medal

Unit decorations

* Presidential Unit Citation Badge * February 1986 Revolution Unit Citation Badge * People Power II Revolution Unit Citation Badge * Martial Law Unit Citation Badge

Badges

* Combat Commander's Kagitingan Badge *

AFP Parachutist Badge *

Army Aviation Service Badge *

Presidential Security Command The Presidential Security Command (PSC), known from 1986 to 2024 as the Presidential Security Group (PSG), is a Philippine close protection agency. It is the primary agency concerned with providing close-in security and escort to the Presiden ...

Badge * Special Forces Qualification Badge *

Scout Ranger Qualification Badge

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Centino, Andres 1967 births Living people People from Cebu Philippine Military Academy alumni Philippine Army generals Chiefs of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Bongbong Marcos administration personnel Duterte administration personnel