44 Days of Faith and Valor: A Story of Resilience and Perseverance Amidst Adversities

"Trust In the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and He will make straight your paths" – PROVERBS 3:5-6

The book 44 Days of Faith and Valor is a daily devotional written by PLTGEN CESAR HAWTHORNE R. BINAG, who, unlike other devotionals, disrupts his traditional length of daily devotional articles and tackles his military and police life. The devotional itself is very memorable because it tells the stories of what peacekeepers, soldiers, and police officers suffer in their field of duty under the guidance and protection of God. While telling the stories of PLTGEN BINAG's life, prayers, and Bible verses were also given to serve as complementary and supporting articles towards his personal life.

As a new Lieutenant in the Philippine Constabulary, PLTGEN BINAG joined the Special Action Force at the beginning of the book. On it, he recounted his early experiences working for the Philippine Constabulary-Special Action Force's Training Command. He spoke about the events of his early years in the Special Action Force, the people he encountered, the experiences, the sorrows, and the times when he trusted God with his life as a newly minted Lieutenant and Team Leader of the SAF-Ranger Training School.

Furthermore, the incident that he had while serving as a Lieutenant is also a narrative that was included in the book. This meeting made him realize that death might knock on your door regardless of how much training you have under your belt, how many Academies you graduate from, or how many high distinctions you have received. Such were his thoughts, particularly after seeing the killing of his Assistant Squad Leader.

One such tale described how it was his duty as the O1, or Class Marshal, to see that, if not everyone, at least nearly everyone, graduated and made it out of the training school. PLTEN BINAG emphasized the idea that you shouldn't wait for someone to pass before you start helping him out, adhering to the rule of not passing until everyone was able to, and the verse from first Corinthians that reads, "The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up the whole body... we all share the same spirit." You begin to learn to stop worrying about your survival when you help him with his weapon, or bag, or even just by supporting him.

Followed by such stories are Bible Verses and Holy Texts that highlight the faith of PLTGEN BINAG. These Bible Verses can be seen at the Start of the Daily Devotional, at the middle, and even at the end of the Devotional. This shows how amidst the stories he presented, there remains the importance of having bible verses and prayers present.

Last but not least, this novel by Ret. PLTGEN BINAG was incredibly educational and taught us many moral principles that we may apply as future commissioned officers of the Philippine National Police. We learned about the various facets of leadership through his experiences. As officers, we face numerous challenges; thus, we must always seek the Lord's direction because nothing is impossible with him.

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Article based on the Book of PLTGEN BINAG entitled "44 Days of Valor"

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