A Marine general whose family has three generations of graduates from the Philippine Military Academy will be the new commander of the 336-man 1st Philippine peacekeeping contingent to the United Nations Disengagement Force (UNDOF) in the Golan Heights in the Middle East.

Maj. Gen. Natalio Cabili-Ecarma III, deputy commandant of the Marine Corps and concurrent commander, Marine Forces South, will be introduced to the Department of Foreign Affairs Press Corps today by Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo.

Ecarma was nominated by the Philippine Mission to the United Nations based in New York after a rigid screening and upon the endorsement of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon to the UN Security Council (UNSC) for approval to become the commander of the Philippine contingent to the UNDOF in the Golan Heights in Syria.

Ecarma is the grandson of former Sen. Tomas Cabili, who became a member of the legislature from 1946 to 1955 and who also had a short stint as Secretary of National Defense from February 27 to July 11, 1945 under President Sergio Osmeña.

Ecarma is part of the PMA’s historical first to have three generations in the academy. The first of the three generations was Col. Natalio Ecarma, Philippine Constabulary Class of 1923; Brig. Gen. Rodolfo Ecarma, Philippine Air Force Class of 1954; and Ecarma III, Philippine Navy (PN) Class of 1981.

Described by the Armed Forces as a “a very competent senior officer of the Philippine Marine Corps”, Ecarma also assumed posts as commander of the 3rd Marine Brigade and as chief of staff at the main headquarters of the Marine Corps.

Ecarma is a pioneer of the Force Reconnaissance Battalion, a “highly competent special operations capable unit of the Corps,” where he served as its first Battalion Commander. Among his notable training include the Philippine Army Scout Ranger’s Course (1984), Special Forces Operations Course (1985), and US Ranger Course (1988).