Ricardo Ramoran Visaya (born December 8, 1960) is a retired
Philippine Army
The Philippine Army (PA) (Tagalog: ''Hukbong Katihan ng Pilipinas''; in literal English: ''Army of the Ground of the Philippines''; in literal Spanish: ''Ejército de la Tierra de la Filipinas'') is the main, oldest and largest branch of the A ...
general
A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry.
In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". O ...
serving as the administrator of the
National Irrigation Administration (NIA) since 2017. He was the
47th Chief of Staff of the
Armed Forces of the Philippines
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) ( fil, Sandatahang Lakas ng Pilipinas) are the military forces of the Philippines. It consists of three main service branches; the Army, the Air Force, and the Navy (including the Marine Corps). The ...
from July to December 2016. He had also previously served as the commanding general of the
AFP Southern Luzon Command
The Southern Luzon Command (abbrv. as SOLCOM) is the Armed Forces of the Philippines' unified command in charge of the Calabarzon, Mimaropa and the Bicol region but excludes the Palawan Islands. It is responsible for the defense of these areas ag ...
, assistant division commander of the
6th Infantry Division 6th Division may refer to:
Infantry divisions
*6th Division (Australia)
*6th Division (Austria)
* 6th (United Kingdom) Division
*Finnish 6th Division (Winter War)
* Finnish 6th Division (Continuation War)
*6th Division (Reichswehr)
* 6th Division ...
, and commander of the
4th Infantry Division.
He is from the class of 1983 (''Matikas'') of the
Philippine Military Academy
The Philippine Military Academy ( fil, Akademiyang Militar ng Pilipinas / es, Academia Militar de Filipinas) also referred to by its acronym PMA is the premier military academy for Filipinos aspiring for a commission as a military officer of ...
.
On March 7, 2017, Visaya was appointed as
National Irrigation Administration chief after Peter T. Laviña resign from his post a week prior.
[http://cnnphilippines.com/news/2017/03/01/Duterte-Peter-Lavina-resigns-National-Irrigation-Administration.html]
Early life and education
Ricardo Visaya was born in
Bacarra,
Ilocos Norte
Ilocos Norte, officially the Province of Ilocos Norte ( ilo, Probinsia ti Ilocos Norte; tl, Lalawigan ng Ilocos Norte), is a province of the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region. Its capital is Laoag City, located in the northwest corner o ...
. It's also where he finished elementary and secondary education. He entered
Philippine Military Academy
The Philippine Military Academy ( fil, Akademiyang Militar ng Pilipinas / es, Academia Militar de Filipinas) also referred to by its acronym PMA is the premier military academy for Filipinos aspiring for a commission as a military officer of ...
in 1979 and graduated in 1983.
Military career
After graduating in 1983, he led various units in the
Philippine Army
The Philippine Army (PA) (Tagalog: ''Hukbong Katihan ng Pilipinas''; in literal English: ''Army of the Ground of the Philippines''; in literal Spanish: ''Ejército de la Tierra de la Filipinas'') is the main, oldest and largest branch of the A ...
and the AFP, such as the 901st Infantry Battalion of the
9th Infantry Division, the
104th Infantry Brigade of the
1st Infantry Division 1st Division may refer to:
Military
Airborne divisions
*1st Parachute Division (Germany)
*1st Airborne Division (United Kingdom)
*1st Airmobile Division (Ukraine)
*1st Guards Airborne Division
Armoured divisions
*1st Armoured Division (Australi ...
and the 69th Infantry Brigade of the
6th Infantry Division 6th Division may refer to:
Infantry divisions
*6th Division (Australia)
*6th Division (Austria)
* 6th (United Kingdom) Division
*Finnish 6th Division (Winter War)
* Finnish 6th Division (Continuation War)
*6th Division (Reichswehr)
* 6th Division ...
.
He also led the
4th Infantry Division the
6th Infantry Division 6th Division may refer to:
Infantry divisions
*6th Division (Australia)
*6th Division (Austria)
* 6th (United Kingdom) Division
*Finnish 6th Division (Winter War)
* Finnish 6th Division (Continuation War)
*6th Division (Reichswehr)
* 6th Division ...
, and the
AFP Southern Luzon Command
The Southern Luzon Command (abbrv. as SOLCOM) is the Armed Forces of the Philippines' unified command in charge of the Calabarzon, Mimaropa and the Bicol region but excludes the Palawan Islands. It is responsible for the defense of these areas ag ...
, before being appointed as the
Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines on July 1, 2016. He retired from military service on December 7, 2016.
Training
He attended various courses locally and abroad, such as the Scout Ranger Regular Course, the Intelligence Officer Basic Course, the Infantry Basic Course, the Infantry Officer Advance Course, the Tradecraft for Trainor's Course, the Electronic Warfare Officer Course, the Contract Management Course, the Executive Course on Security Studies in
Hawaii, USA; the Command General Staff Course at the Training and Doctrine Command, Philippine Army; the Pacific Army Management Seminar in
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and List of cities in Japan, largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, ...
,
Japan ; the Professional Managers Program at the
Ateneo de Manila University
, mottoeng = Light in the Lord
, type = Private, research, non-profit, coeducational basic and higher education institution
, established = December 10, 1859
, religious_affiliation = Roman Catholic (Jesuits)
, academic_aff ...
; and the Financial Statement Analysis program at the
University of Asia and the Pacific. He earned his master's degree in Project Management at the
Australian Defence College in Canberra, Australia.
Awards
Visaya's awards include:
*
Philippine Legion of Honor
The Philippine Legion of Honor ( fil, Lehiyong Pandangal ng Pilipinas; es, Legion de Honor Filipino) was established by President Manuel Roxas, through Philippine Army Circular No. 60 dated July 3, 1947. The Philippine Legion of Honor was patterne ...
*

People Power I Unit Citation
*

People Power II Unit Citation
*
Philippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation
*

Three (3)
Gawad sa Kaunlaran
*

Eleven (11)
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 con ...
s
*

Forty Nine (49)
Military Merit Medal (Philippines)
The Military Merit MedalThe AFP Adjutant General, ''AFP Awards and Decorations Handbook'', 1997, OTAG, p. 34-35. is a military decoration of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. The medal is awarded for heroic achievement or meritorious service du ...
*

Fourteen (14)
Military Commendation Medals
*
Sagisag ng Ulirang Kawal
The Sagisag ng Ulirang Kawal is a military decoration of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. It is awarded to the personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines for conspicuous performance of non-military activities and community development pr ...
*

Two (2)
Silver Wing Medals
* 20 Plaques of Recognitions
* PMA Cavalier Award (as outstanding alumnus of the Philippine Military Academy)
*
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 con ...
*
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 th ...
*
Gawad sa Kaunlaran
*
Sagisag ng Ulirang Kawal
The Sagisag ng Ulirang Kawal is a military decoration of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. It is awarded to the personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines for conspicuous performance of non-military activities and community development pr ...
*
Combat Commander's Badge (Philippines)
*

Scout Ranger Qualification Badge
*
Philippine Army Command and General Staff Course Badge
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Visaya, Ricardo Ramoran
1960 births
Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs (Philippines)
Duterte administration personnel
Filipino generals
Living people
People from Ilocos Norte
Philippine Army generals
Philippine Military Academy alumni
Recipients of Gawad sa Kaunlaran
Recipients of the Bronze Cross Medal
Recipients of the Distinguished Service Star
Recipients of the Military Commendation Medal
Recipients of the Military Merit Medal (Philippines)
Recipients of the Silver Wing Medal