Another infantry battalion deployed to secure Davao City

From the Philippine News Agency (May 18): Another infantry battalion deployed to secure Davao City

Another infantry battalion has been deployed to Davao City to secure the locality from insurgency threat.

10th Infantry Division head Major Gen. Rafael Valencia said the 16th Infantry Battalion was pulled out from Sulu to help the 3rd Infantry Battalion in securing Davao City.

These military units will be under the 1003rd Infantry Brigade, he added.

A typical Philippine battalion consists of around 300 to 500 officers and enlisted personnel.

Valencia said the 16th Infantry Battalion arrived in Davao City last week and now undergoing acclimatization and familiarization rounds aside from cultural sensitivity training.

"We also invited tribal leaders (from the various Indigenous People groups) so they can be familiar with their customs and traditions," he added.

Valencia said there is a need for another battalion to secure Davao City due to its huge size and large population.

Making this more pressing is the fact that Davao City is constantly expanding with new subdivisions and industrial plants which needs more units for security.

"We need to address the (security) gaps by bringing in an additional unit," the 10th Infantry Division chief said.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php/articles/988882