ALMOST a year after the outbreak of hostilities between the Katipuneros and the Spanish troops, the Philippine Revolutionary Government and its Army were born on March 22, 1897 at Tejeros, San Francisco de Malabon in Cavite. General Artemio Ricarte was named Captain General of the Ejercito en la Republica de las Islas Filipinas or the Revolutionary Philippine Army. This date marked the founding day of the modern-day Philippine Army.
With the establishment of the Philippine Commonwealth on November 15, 1935, President Manuel Luis Quezon sought the services of General Douglas MacArthur to evolve a national defense plan. Commonwealth Act No. 1, the National Defense Act, was enacted into law, paving the way for the birth of the new Philippine Army, which was only to be under the aegis of the US Army under the Commonwealth government. With an annual appropriation of
R16 million, it trained new Filipino members in defending the country and protecting its people. When World War II broke out in 1941, two regular and 10 reserve divisions of the Philippine Army undertook the defense of the Philippines. These divisions were incorporated into the United States Armed Forces in the Far East (USAFFE) under the command of General MacArthur. After the war, four military areas were activated to take the place of military districts. The Armed Forces was recognized, which gave birth to the four major services of the Armed Forces.
The Philippine Army established its separate headquarters on July 10, 1957. The onset of the 60s ushered an expansion of the Army’s roles, which included participation in the socio-economic programs of the country. To achieve greater flexibility and effectiveness, infantry divisions took the place of the military areas in the 70s. On September 21, 1972, the Martial Law era began. During the decade, military operations supported by civic action blocked the escalation of insurgency.
The onset of the 80s saw the birth of the Special Operations Team (SOT) strategy which aimed to dismantle the communist political organizations and deny them control of barangays all over the country. The SOT played an additional role in national development. Together with local government officials, SOTs identified problems and provided assistance in areas that lack needed vital facilities and service like roads, bridges, schools, health and sanitation, and livelihood. This strategy was adopted not only by the Army but by the entire Armed Forces of the Philippines.
The Philippine Army celebrates its 108th Anniversary today with the theme "Transforming the Philippine Army: Creating Tomorrow’s Formidable Force."
We congratulate the Philippine Army headed by its Commanding General Lieutenant General Generoso S. Senga, its Officers and Members, and the men and women who have been guided by the soldierly core values of Courage, Honor, Valor, Solidarity, Loyalty, and Love of Country, in defending our democratic way of life. We wish them all the best on their 108th Anniversary.
