Major Magisa: Man on the Move
A little boy stood there gazing up at the sky, his eyes entranced and his mind adrift with the clouds. A smile dawned on his face and he said to himself, “One day I will fly and I will rule the sky.”
Major Marco Antonio “Mikko” Altamira Magisa did not plan on becoming a soldier. As a kid, his heart was set on becoming a jet fighter pilot and be one with the sky. At 17, determined and strong-willed, Mikko entered the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) in spite of the challenge of being away from his home and family. However, his dream of becoming a jet fighter pilot came into a halt and changed into something new altogether. Instead, Mikko pursued the path of a soldier.
The Boy from Atimonan
Mikko grew up watching jet planes pass over their house in Atimonan, Quezon. In his young mind, there was something fascinating in being up there with the clouds. Every time that he would hear the sound of jet planes passing by, he would rush out of the door to catch a glimpse of it. He imagined himself flying high up in the sky, he imagined himself climbing down the jet plane, walking down the runway, with a helmet on his hand.
As the years passed, Mikko’s parents saw that his heart was set on becoming a jet fighter pilot. Not wanting to discourage him from pursuing his dreams, his parents told Mikko that if he really wanted to be a jet fighter pilot, he should enter PMA and train to become a soldier for the Airforce. Since then, Mikko decided that he would enter PMA no matter what. There was no other option, being a jet fighter pilot was the only thing he would be.
Upon entering PMA, Mikko’s parents received news that their request to go to the United States was approved. Mikko was torn between pursuing his dreams and being with his family. He really wanted to become a jet fighter pilot. His parents tried to convince him that life would be better in the US. There would be more opportunities for him, they said.
However, Mikko decided to stay. His training in PMA made him realized that there is so much more he can do to help his country. Mikko told his parents that there is nothing more he can do to help the US, that he wanted to take part in helping the Philippines become a better nation.
Pursuing the Path of a Soldier
While in PMA, Mikko began to see soldiers in a new light. He was inspired by the leadership and discipline of the soldiers he met while he was training. Mikko thought to himself that there was something more special in leading others compared to flying a jet plane. He realized that it is more challenging to lead and inspire soldiers to accomplish the mission despite the risk and challenges, there was something more compassionate in dealing with people compared to handling machines. He also realized that there was no guarantee that he would become a jet fighter pilot since the Airforce has only a number of jet planes.
Mikko left his dream of becoming a jet fighter pilot and dedicated himself to become a good soldier.
Mikko’s training and experiences in the field made him realize that being a soldier is not an easy job. Often times, it would take you away from your family and may also put your life in danger. However, this did not dampen his dedication to serve the country.
For Mikko, being a soldier was not a profession,
but a privilege to serve the people and protect the land.
At CMO School
Mikko’s first encounter with the Civil-Military Operations School (CMOS) was during his training in the Officer Preparatory Course. Part of the training discussed the concepts and strategies of Civil-Military Operations (CMO). However, when he was assigned to the field, Mikko forgot all about CMO School. It never occurred to him that he would one day be part of the CMO profession.
In 2011, Mikko attended the Public Affairs Qualification Course in Defense Information School, Fort George Meade, Maryland, USA. Upon his return, Mikko was assigned as Executive Officer of the Information Support Affairs Unit (ISAU) of the Research and Production Center (RPC) of the Civil-Military Operations Group, Philippine Army (CMOG, PA). In 2012, he became the head of ISAU and in June 2013, Mikko was assigned at CMO School and became the Course Director of the Public Affairs Course.
His stay in CMO School gave him the opportunity to mold the students from ordinary soldiers into CMO Professionals. Mikko’s stint as Course Director and instructor enabled him to share his knowledge, experiences and expertise with the students and helped improved his leadership and interpersonal communication skills. It also gave him an avenue to engage in discourse and exchange brilliant and new ideas with his peers and students.
Mikko’s experience in teaching students at CMO School helped him realize how important it is to develop an interpersonal connection with others to become an effective leader. He also learned the importance of motivating his students to develop their potential and inspire them to persevere through the challenges they will experience in life.
Moreover, Mikko experienced teaching international students from Cambodia, Indonesia and Malaysia. Mikko learned from his foreign students the importance of cultural sensitivity and respect for other’s beliefs and traditions. He also learned the importance of developing a CMO curriculum that is responsive to the needs of the ever changing environment.
Life as a CMO Professional
Mikko’s experiences as a CMO Professional, especially when he was assigned at ISAU and headed the RPC, made him realize the challenge of being an effective and efficient CMO professional. A CMO professional needs creativity, resourcefulness, and sense of urgency. One must be able to come up with fresh and different approaches when engaging with stakeholders, and developing and implementing CMO activities. Moreover, a CMO professional must always be able to uphold the integrity of the Philippine Army, because when you engage with civilian stakeholders, you are not just representing yourself, you are representing the entire organization.
Mikko also saw the importance of equipping the Army’s CMO professionals not just with the skills and knowledge, but also with the resources and capabilities, to encourage and motivate the people to support the Army’s mission through partnerships and collaborations in CMO activities. He dreams of the day, when people will recognize the prestige of being part of the profession of arms, through the Army’s CMO initiatives.
Being in the CMO profession, inculcated in Mikko the importance of having a “Think Army” mind-set, wherein he recognized the importance of communicating the Army’s brand of leadership and service in every CMO endeavor.
If given a chance to come up with a CMO project, Mikko would like to produce communication materials that would be aired in all mainstream media channels to show the people the Army’s commitment to serve the people and secure the land. Mikko believes that it is high time that the people see what the Army is really doing and the challenges that the soldiers face to accomplish their mission.
It is high time that the people acknowledge and appreciate the services that the soldiers have rendered to the country. It is high time that the people will stand up and say to the soldiers, “Thank you for your service.”
A Man’s Heart
Mikko’s journey as a soldier is far from over. He knows that there will be more challenges to face, missions to accomplish, and paths in life to pursue. But CMO will always have a special place in his heart. CMO opened his eyes to the reality that the Army and soldiers are not the only ones who are dedicated to serve and develop the country. There are several organizations and people in the society who want to reach out and render their services to the needy. CMO made him realize that there also people who want to help and give back to the soldiers.
An officer and a soldier, a husband and a father, a son and a sibling, Major Marco Antonio “Mikko” Altamira Magisa has shown that those who did not fulfill their childhood dream can also become successful and fulfilled in the paths they chose to take.
