Marcelo C. Blando, is a retired Philippine Brigadier General turned farmer. He graduated from 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 ...

in 1960 and commanded the Philippines’

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. ...

and the Philippine Army's

7th Infantry (Kaugnay) Division The 7th Infantry Division, Philippine Army, known officially as the Kaugnáy Division, is the Philippine Army's primary infantry unit specializing in rapid deployment. History The division was originally established on August 1, 1988. During t ...

. In the late 1980s Blando was a leading figure in the

Reform the Armed Forces Movement The Reform the Armed Forces Movement, also referred to by the acronym RAM, was a cabal of officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) known for several attempts to seize power in the Philippines during the 1980s and 1990s. In 1986, so ...

(RAM), involved in the failed 1989 coup d'état that almost toppled the administration of then President

Corazon Aquino María Corazón "Cory" Sumulong Cojuangco-Aquino (; January 25, 1933 – August 1, 2009) was a Filipino politician who served as the 11th president of the Philippines and the first woman president in the country, from Presidency of Corazon ...

. After three years of incarceration, Blando was granted amnesty by the government and officially retired from 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 ...

in 1991.

Post-military career

After his military service, Blando ventured into farming and is now fostering a new revolutionary struggle, which he brands as the "Reform the Agriculture Movement". Its main agenda is to reduce poverty and to eradicate hunger by advocating modern agricultural practice in the countryside and farmer empowerment through institutional development. Highlights of Gen. Blando's activities include being founding chairman of the Paitan multi-purpose cooperative, and later the chairman of the much larger

Pangasinan Pangasinan, officially the Province of Pangasinan (, ; ; ), is a coastal Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region of Luzon. Its capital is Lingayen, Pangasinan, Lingayen while San Carlos, Pangasi ...

Farmers' Co-operative. He was also founding president of the Mango Industry Network. From 1996 to 2004, he was chairman of the

Provincial Agriculture and Fisheries Council and was elected chair of the Regional Agriculture and Fisheries Council in 2004, representing Region 1, made up of four provinces (

Ilocos Norte Ilocos Norte (), officially the Province of Ilocos Norte (; ), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province of the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region. It is located in the northwest corner of Luzon island, bordering Cagayan and Apayao to t ...

Ilocos Sur Ilocos Sur (), officially the Province of Ilocos Sur (; ), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region in Luzon. Located on the mouth of the Mestizo River is the capital of Vigan, while Candon is ...

and

La Union La Union (), officially the Province of La Union (; ; ; ; ; ), is a coastal province in the Philippines situated in the Ilocos Region on the island of Luzon. The province's capital, the San Fernando, La Union, City of San Fernando, is the most ...

). Other significant activities include: Selected as "Farmer Scientist" on mango by Philippine Council for Agriculture Research Resources Development (PCARRD), Department of Science and Technology (DOST); :Active participant in Community Based Participatory Action Research under the Bureau of Agricultural Research,

Department of Agriculture (Philippines) The Department of Agriculture (DA; ) is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for the promotion of agricultural and fisheries development and growth. It has its headquarters at Elliptical Road corner Visayas Avenue ...

; :Agriculture Representative for Region I Association of Non-Government Organizations; :Agriculture Representative (farmer) Region I Development Council - San Fernando, La Union; :Co-operator in field trials of BT, RR and Stack Trait corn conducted by

Monsanto Company The Monsanto Company () was an American agrochemical and agricultural biotechnology corporation founded in 1901 and headquartered in Creve Coeur, Missouri. Monsanto's best-known product is Roundup, a glyphosate-based herbicide, developed in ...

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

; :Member of National Biosafety Committee under Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI); :Involved in the development of information and communication technology (K-Agri Net) to be adapted by farmers. Blando is married to the former Nelia Tidor of Balungao, Pangasinan

References

* Coronel, Sheila "Coup Fails, Manila Says Amid Fighting" ''New York Times'', December 4, 1989.
"EX-GENERAL IN THICK OF FOOD REVOLUTION"
Biotechnology Information Center News, January 2005

{{DEFAULTSORT:Blando, Marcelo Philippine Military Academy alumni Filipino generals Filipino farmers Living people People from Pangasinan Philippine Army personnel Reform the Armed Forces Movement Year of birth missing (living people)