Giovanni Bacordo

Giovanni Carlo J. Bacordo
Giovanni Carlo J. Bacordo
	File:VAdm Bacordo.jpg Vice Admiral Giovanni Bacordo
38th Chief of the Philippine Navy
	Incumbent
	Assumed office ; 03 February 2020
President	Rodrigo Duterte
Preceded by	V. Adm. Robert Empedrad
Personal details
Born	June 9, 1965 (age 59); La Paz, Iloilo City, Philippines
Alma mater	Philippine Military Academy ; De La Salle University, (M.Econ) ; Australian Defence College, (M.DS)
Military service
Allegiance	Philippines
Branch/service	Philippine Navy
Years of service	1987 – Present
Rank	Vice Admiral
Unit	Chief of the Philippine Navy; Philippine Fleet ; Naval Sea Systems Command ; Naval Forces Southern Luzon, SOLCOM ; Joint Task Force Kingfisher, SOLCOM ; Naval Task Force ZAMBASULTA, WESMINCOM ; Naval Task Force 61, WESTMINCOM ; Naval Task Force 41, WESCOM; BRP Rajah Humabon (PS-11) ; BRP Miguel Malvar (PS-19); BRP Rafael Pargas (PC-379); BRP Juan Magluyan (PC-392)
Battles/wars	Moro conflict ; CPP-NPA-NDF rebellion ; 2013 Lahad Datu standoff

Vice Admiral Giovanni Carlo Jamero Bacordo is a Filipino Admiral who serves as the current Chief of the Philippine Navy. He is a graduate of the Philippine Military Academy "Hinirang" Class of 1987. Prior to his post, he served as the commander of the Philippine Fleet.^[1]

Early life and education

Born in La Paz, Iloilo City, he finished preschool at the Assumption Iloilo, finished elementary school at St. Clements College Iloilo, and finished high school at the University of the Philippines Visayas in 1981, before attending the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) in 1983 and graduated as "Magna Cum Laude" (Class Salutatorian) in 1987.^[1] He also holds a Master of Economics at the De La Salle University in Manila, and a Master of Management in Defense Studies and completed the Australian Command and Staff Course at the Australian Defence College in Canberra, Australia. He also completed the Civil Military Approaches to Maritime Security Course in Monterey, California, courses at the Naval War College at Newport, Rhode Island, as well as other courses both locally and abroad.^[2]

Military background

After graduating at the PMA in 1987, he was assigned to command major ships of the Philippine Navy such as the BRP Juan Magluyan (PC-392), the BRP Rafael Pargas (PC-379), BRP Miguel Malvar (PS-19), and the BRP Rajah Humabon (PS-11). He was also assigned to lead naval forces, such as the Naval Task Force 41 of the AFP Western Command, Naval Task Force 61 and the Naval Task Force ZAMBASULTA of the AFP Western Mindanao Command, Joint Task Force Kingfisher and the Naval Forces Southern Luzon of the AFP Southern Luzon Command.

He also served as Assistant Chief of Naval Staff for Operations, N3, in 2013 to 2014, where he oversaw naval operations in the 2013 Lahad Datu standoff, as well as encounters of Chinese Ships at the Ayungin Shoal and in Scarborough Shoal, the sinking of the MV St. Thomas Aquinas, the Zamboanga Siege, the 2013 Bohol earthquake, and the Typhoon Haiyan. He also served as Director of the Center for Naval Leadership and Excellence, where he devised the Strategic Sail Plan 2020.^[1]

He also led the Naval Sea Systems Command and the Philippine Fleet in April 2019, before being appointed as the new Flag Officer-in-Command of the Philippine Navy on February 3, 2020.^[3]^[4] He earned his third star and was promoted to vice admiral on April 22, 2020.^[5] The position of Flag Officer-in-Command was changed to Chief of the Navy on June 2020.^[6]