26 June, Seoul, South Korea. The Philippine Embassy in Seoul reported to the Department that Col. Jonas Sumagaysay, the Embassy’s Defense Attaché, received the Distinguished Service Medal for his outstanding achievement as the Philippine Liaison Officer to the United Nations Command (UNC) on 20 June 2008 at the Yongsan Garrison, Seoul.

Major General Johnny Weida, Deputy Commander of the UNC, pinned the medal on Col. Sumagaysay (photo) in a well-attended ceremony.

Earlier, the UNC hosted the Honor Guard Ceremony in honor of Col. Sumagaysay at the Knight Field of Yongsan Garrison, where he performed the inspection of troops and officiated in the pass in review of UNC troops.

In his acceptance speech, Colonel Sumagaysay said that his work as the Philippine Liaison Officer was a testament of his country’s continuing and unwavering support and commitment to the mission and ideals of the UNC. Gen. Walter Sharp, the new Commander of the UNC, thanked the member countries of the UNC for the outstanding work that the coalition is doing to maintain peace and stability in the Korean peninsula in particular and in the Asian region in general.
The UNC is composed of 16 countries that sent combatants to South Korea during the Korean war in 1950-53. At present, the UNC is tasked with the monitoring of the Armistice agreement which ended the hostilities in the Korean peninsula. Aside from the Philippine Expeditionary Forces to South Korea (PEFTOK), other UNC members include Colombia, United States, Belgium, United Kingdom, South Africa, Canada, The Netherlands, Turkey, Luxembourg, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Ethiopia, Greece and France.