For Director Winnie Rose Encallado, year 2002 has been a year
blessed with performance and academic excellence awards from the Commission on
Audit and from the National Defense College (NDCP) respectively. In February
2002, she was awarded in a formal ceremony a Plaque of Recognition by the
Corporate Audit Office I (CAO I) for timely and quality submission of the AAR of
her auditee agency. She was one, of the only two auditors from the CAO I who
submitted said report on the February 28 statutory deadline. In May, the COA
Commission Proper awarded her with another Plaque of Recognition as the Team
Leader of the Most Outstanding Audit Team. Then in August upon her graduation in
the Masters in National Security Administration (MNSA), she was awarded by the
National Defense College of the Philippines (NDCP) with a Silver Medal for
Academic Excellence as the class Salutatorian, and a Bronze Medal for writing
the Third Best Thesis for the year among 50 graduates variously representing all
major services of the AFP as well as the civilian private and public sectors.
For Lt. Col. Encallado working for the NDCP commissionship
was a unique, exciting and most challenging experience where she learned to
drive a battle tank, throw hand grenades, shoot the right way using caliber 45
pistol and an M-16 ( armalite), navigate on foot unfamiliar terrain using only a
map and a compass, climb high mountains, live in a soldiers barracks, eat like
soldier, wear battle dress attire for weeks, smell and get used to a soldier’s
smell, wake up and jog at 4 AM, plan battle assault and defense, drop and roll
and slide on grassy, rocky ground or hillsides, and experience battle and ambush
drills. Sounds tough, and for Director Encallado it was a test not only of wits
but also of endurance, courage, guts, and adaptability.
Of course, hurdling the NDCP academic requirements was for
her a feat in itself. She had to pass six modules encompassing national security
– the military, cultural, political, economic, science and technology, and
environmental dimensions. To do so, she had to pit her wits with those of very
successful top executives from the private sector, intelligent Directors from
other civilian government agencies, and experienced Colonels who are promising
future Generals in the AFP.
According to Winnie Rose, what was the most valuable in the
NDCP training were the friends that she made and the bonding she developed with
most of the NDCP graduates, in addition to the rare and uncomparable enjoyment
that she experienced during the length of her training.
She thanks the COA Chairman Guillermo N. Carague and her
former Director, Ms. Baby Escarda for allowing her that rare experience. She
said she is also happy that more COAns are being given the same opportunity.
