The National Defense College of the Philippines (NDCP) President, BGen Archimedes H Viaje AFP (Ret) PhD MNSA CESE, officially welcomed the 69 members of the Master in National Security Administration (MNSA) RC 56 during a ceremony held at the College on 8 October 2020.

RC 56 is composed of 39 students from the Philippine Army, 9 from the Philippine Air Force, 9 from the Philippine Navy, 3 from the Technical and Administrative Services, 1 from the Department of Foreign Affairs, 1 from the Department of Justice, 1 from the City Government of Valenzuela, 3 from the private sector, 1 from Bangladesh Army, 1 from Pakistan Air Force, and 1 from Sri Lankan Army.

In his remarks, Dr Viaje underscored that the “overarching mission of the MNSA Program is to produce a new generation of security analysts, policymakers, and scholars fully knowledgeable about the range of national and international security problems and foreign policy issues of the 21st Century.”

In line with prevailing health protocols, members of RC 56 had been required to undergo swab testing. Those who tested negative were allowed to attend the opening ceremony, while those who were still waiting for the results attended the activity virtually.

Social distancing, wearing of face shields and face masks, frequent hand sanitization, and the filling-out of health status forms were also implemented, among others.