CAGAYAN DE ORO — The Army's 4th Infantry Division has a new commander, following a leadership transition ahead of the retirement of Major General Michelle Anayron after nearly four decades of service.
Anayron formally turned over command to Brigadier General Siegfred Tubaldo, his classmate from the Philippine Military Academy “Tanglaw-Diwa” Class of 1992, during a ceremony on Wednesday at Camp Edilberto Evangelista in Barangay Patag.
Army chief Lieutenant General Antonio Nafarrete credited both officers for strengthening leadership and professionalism within the division, which has about 7,000 personnel.
The 4ID oversees security operations across Northern Mindanao and the Caraga region—areas where government forces continue to monitor remnants of the New People’s Army (NPA).
Anayron, a native of Sugbongcogon, Misamis Oriental, is set to retire on May 20, 2026, upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 57.
“Mitch, you retire with our profound respect and gratitude. Your legacy will endure in the systems you built, the leaders you mentored, and the soldiers you inspired,” Nafarrete said.
In his final act as commander, Anayron led a farewell review of troops alongside his family—his wife Lenlen and their three children—aboard two command jeeps, a first in the division’s history.
“I would not have survived my Army life without the support of my wife and children. They were my pillars,” he said.
Tubaldo, the new 4ID commander, previously led the Army’s 403rd Infantry Brigade based in Bukidnon.
