Philippine Army is battle-tested for 117 years

From the Philippine News Agency (Mar 21): Philippine Army is battle-tested for 117 years

Since its founding 117 years ago, the Philippine Army has undergone acid tests of national survival that thousands of soldiers have offered the supreme sacrifice in defense of freedom and democracy.

The bravery of the Filipino soldiers was chiseled by the founders of the Philippine Revolutionary Army (PRA), the forerunner of the Philippine Army, at Tejeros, San Francisco de Malabon, Cavite on March 22, 1897 by Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, the first President of the Philippines.

Then Gen. Artemio Ricarte was named as Captain General, whose rank is equivalent today to a four-star general as chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

History shows that it was Gen. Antonio Luna who designed the uniform and insignias of the PRA.

The first Filipino Army was armed with the Spanish M93, Remington Spanish rifle "lantakas," Krupp guns, Hontoria guns, and a few others.

Artillery weapons were made of water pipes reinforced with bamboo or timber, which could only fire once or twice.

Less than two years after its formation, the Philippine Revolutionary Army went into battle when the Philippine-American War erupted on Feb. 4, 1899, wherein the Filipinos suffered heavy losses.

Col. Tuts Detoyato, current Philippine Army spokesman, said that when the Philippine Commonwealth Government was established on Nov. 15, 1935, President Manuel L. Quezon sought the services of American Gen. Douglas MacArthur to evolve a national defense plan.

Thus the Commonwealth Act No. 1 was enacted into law, which paved the way for the formation of the new Philippine Army.

In the early 1950s, just five years after World War II, the Korean War erupted when communist North Korea invaded South Korea.

Without hesitation, the Philippines, one of the first members of the United Nations (UN), sent five battalions composed of 7,500 Philippine Army officers and men to Korea to help defend the beleaguered South Koreans.

The fighting unit was called the Philippine Expeditionary Forces to Korea (PEFTOK) whose mission was to uphold the struggle for democracy.

Again, the Filipino soldiers showed to the world their bravery and fighting capability against all odds that an American officer was quoted as saying that he would fight anywhere in the world as long as he had with him Filipino soldiers fighting with him side by side.

Two most outstanding battles experienced by Filipino soldiers during the Korean War were the Battle of Yultong and the Battle of Eerie Hill.

The Battle of Yultong was a fierce fighting between the Chinese People's Volunteer Army 44th Division and the Filipino 10th Battalion Combat Team (BCT), north of Yeoncheon, for two days -- from April 22–23, 1951.

In that historic battle, the Chinese attacked the US 65th Infantry Regiment of the US 3rd Infantry Division near Yeoncheon in the evening of April 22, 1951.

The 10th BCT, which was attached to the 65th Infantry Regiment, was caught in the fighting at Yultong.

Although the Filipinos had lost all contacts with the outside world, they held their ground and stopped the Chinese offensive on the morning of April 23, 1951 and enabled the US 3rd Infantry Division to successfully withdraw from the battlefield.

Another epic battle during the Korean War that involved Filipino soldiers was the Battle at Eerie Hill on May 21, 1951.

The PEFTOK unit tapped to conquer Eerie Hill occupied by Chinese forces then Ist Lt. Fidel V. Ramos, a fresh graduate of the US West Point.

Lt. Ramos successfully led his troops in conquering the strategic hill following a two-hour fierce gun battle.

During the Vietnam War, the Philippine Civic Action Group to Vietnam (PhilCAGV) was sent to South Vietnam on a mission of peace, where Army engineers helped build communities and Army doctors and nurses provided medical services to the people.

The onset of the 1960s ushered an expansion of the Army’s roles, which included participation in the socio-economic program of the country, Col. Detoyato said.

“To achieve greater flexibility and effectiveness, infantry divisions took the place of the military areas in the seventies. On 21 September 1972, the Martial Law era began. During the decade, military operations supported by civic action blocked the escalation of insurgency,” the Army spokesman said.

At the height of the campaign against the escalation of communist insurgency, Army forces seized MB Karagatan loaded with hundreds of M14 rifles in Isabela, he added.

“These had been intended to arm the New People’s Army, the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines. Apart from internal security operations, the Philippine Army also played an additional role in national development,” he stressed.

Also in the 1950s and 1960s, the Army had its hand full in containing the Huk rebellion, the Kamlon campaign in Sulu, the rebellion of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) from 1974 up to Sept. 2, 1996 when a peace agreement was signed.

The Army was also in the thick of the fighting against the breakaway group Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) which after 17 years of warfare is slated to sign a peace deal with the government on March 27, 2014 to end the bloody fighting in Mindanao.

Likewise, the Army has been at the forefront in the war against terror, particularly the Al Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf Group.

The Army’s combat record can be attested by the 26 Army soldiers who were decorated the Medal of Valor, the highest military award in combat.

The following were the recipients of the Medal of Valor award:

MGen. Paulino T. Santos

Maj. Ferdinand E. Marcos

Cpt. Jesus A. Villamor

Maj. Emigdio C. Cruz

MGen. Mariano N. Castañeda

Cpt. Conrado D. Yap

Cpl. Weenee Martillana

MSgt. Francisco M. Camacho

Cpl. Bienvenido V. Fajemolin

1Lt Hilario A. Estrella

MSgt. Francisco G. Granfil

Sgt. Roberto F. Salvador

Cpt. Arturo B. Ortiz

Cpt. Cirilito E. Sobejana

1Lt. Bartolome O. Bacarro

2Lt. Jose E. Bandong

SSgt. Roy L. Cuenca

SSgt. Miguel D. Pastolero

Cpl. Romualdo C. Rubi

Sgt. Claudio Forrosuelo

Cpt. Edward M. Lucero

2Lt. Herbert D. Dilag

SSgt. Lucio G. Curig

LtC. Noel S. Buan

SSgt. Leopoldo C. Diokno Jr.

PFC Ian Paquit

Also since its inception, the Philippine Army has always been present and responsive when disasters such as typhoons, floods and earthquakes hit the country.

In 2013, Army troops were deployed to conduct disaster response and relief efforts in areas affected by super typhoon "Yolanda." Soldiers also responded when Bohol, Cebu, and other parts of the Visayas region were devastated by an earthquake. The Philippine Army also helped in the search and retrieval operations following the landslide in Zambales.

In 2012, the Army soldiers were also the first responders when typhoon Pablo struck Mindanao, particularly Compostela Valley province and Davao Oriental.

In 2011, thousands were rescued in various DROs during and after typhoons and other calamities that hit various parts of the country, particularly during the onslaught of typhoon Sendong. Tons of assorted relief goods/cargoes were transported through Army channels that benefited thousands of affected residents.

"In partnership with the National Disaster Coordinating Council, we established an Operation and Action Center at the Philippine Army Gym for the first time during typhoon ‘Ondoy’ in September 2009. This has been a centralized response, rescue and relief operations center whenever disasters befall our country. This has also served as drop-off point of relief items donated by individuals and private organizations/companies. Since then, the Philippine Army Wellness Center (PA Gym) serves as Relief Center during disasters," Detoyato said.

"The PA exhausts all available resources of the command in response to the immediate needs of fellowmen who fall victim to natural calamities and disasters. We do not only mobilize our soldiers in DRO efforts but also our civilian personnel.

“In the spirit of 'Bayanihan', we involve the community stakeholders in all DROs by coordinating with the LGUs for the orderly distribution of relief goods. We have resources like trucks and rescue equipment which can be of help for the efficient implementation of the DRO,” Detoyato added.

In the 21st century the Philippine Army has brought into the forefront the so-called Army Transformation Roadmap (ATR). The program is:

Anchored on the Performance Governance System (PGS) and the Balanced Scorecard Technology (BST), the ATR sets the direction of the Philippine Army in pursuing genuine reforms founded on good governance, operational excellence and organizational excellence. It promotes an Army that focuses on the institution rather than the personalities; and it aims to transform the Army into a more capable, responsive, reliable, and professional organization committed to its mandate.

From 2010 to 2013, all efforts of the Philippine Army were geared towards achieving the 2nd ATR Base Camp, which is to be a disciplined and motivated Army capable of addressing all internal security threats. By 2016, the Philippine Army aims to be a well-equipped Army that has established a respectable image in Southeast Asia.

By 2022, it expects to be a modern and respected Army in Asia; and by 2028, the Philippine Army anticipates the realization of its vision to be a world-class Army that is a source of national pride.

There are five strategic perspectives in the ATR: Stakeholder Support, Finance and Logistics, Human Resource, Internal Processes, and Constituency.

Among its 12 strategic objectives are engaging and partnering with key stakeholders; institutionalizing good governance; adopting effective and efficient management of resources; developing the character and competence of personnel; actively supporting nation-building; and to be a professional Army loved by the people.

The journey to transformation involves every member of the Army organization. Recognizing that governance begins with every individual, all Army personnel crafted their personal scorecards, stating therein the measures, targets and initiatives with the end goal of contributing to the realization of the ATR vision.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=10&sid=&nid=10&rid=627798