Philippine Army Reserve Command


The Reserve Command is one of the Philippine Army's functional commands created for the sole purpose of reserve force management, organization and Government Arsenal procurement.

History

Philippine Commonwealth

By 1935, the Philippine Commonwealth, under the leadership of President Manuel Luis Quezon enacted the very first legislature of his government. Commonwealth Act Nr. 01 ensured that Philippines will be prepared to thwart off any invasion or aggression of some sort by any nation, or entity and thus called upon its citizens to provide manpower to then fledgling Philippine Army. The National Defense Act of 1935 heralded the creation of what would be the Armed Forces of the Philippines and very first documented account of voluntary citizen enlistment.

World War II

Reservists fought hard during the 1940s and saw action on almost all parts of the country in World War II. Regular and reserve members of then Philippine Army/Philippine Army Air Corps, the Philippine Constabulary, and the Philippine Offshore Patrol were incorporated with US units and rallied under the banner of the USAFFE.
A ragtag group of former ROTC Cadets, Guerilla Fighters and draftees of the Philippine Army Reserve Force formed units among themselves and fought gallantly against the Japanese invaders. Collectively, they were known as the Hunters ROTC Unit.

Post World War II

Post WWII saw the re-organization of the AFP and the further need to rebuild the defense of the nation. Reserve units were then organized to Battalion Combat Teams with the sole purpose of force augmentation in the eventuality that another world war ensues.
On September 1, 1977, the Army Reserve Command was activated pursuant to General Orders No. 250 of the Philippine Army, after consolidating various Regional Community Defense Units. Army officers were tasked to organized, train, and manage a reserve force that will equate or surpass the current strength of its regular forces.

1986 EDSA Revolution

By 1986, after the EDSA Revolution, the unit was shortly deactivated since the AFP at that time was undergoing retraining and re-organization.

Birth of the modern AFP Reserve Force

1991 saw the birth of a new reserve force when Republic Act 7077 was signed into law on July 1, 1991. This new legislation directed the AFP to organize and create units with the sole purpose of reservists management.
On May 12, 1992, the Reserve Command, Philippine Army, was again reactivated pursuant to HPA General Orders No. 392 and was later again renamed as the Army Reserve Command on October 1, 1999 and was given its marching orders to maintain, administer, develop, train, and organize reservists units to help enhance and sustain National Security and Development.

Future of RESCOM, PA

In the 21st century, the unit is modernizing itself pursuant to the directives of Headquarters, Philippine Army's transformation roadmap to 2028.

Legal Mandate

Commonwealth Act 1

Commonwealth Act No. 1, particularly Section II, cites the responsibility of each and every citizen of for the defense of the nation. Citizens may be mobilized in the event the national government declares an act of war or emergency.

Republic Act 7077

Republic Act No. 7077, also known as the Citizen's Armed Force Act or Reservist Law of 1991, is an act passed in to law by the joint house of representatives which clearly provides the policies and procedures in the creation and administration of reservists and reserve units of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Republic Act 9163

Republic Act No. 9163, also known as the National Service Training Program Act or National Service Law of 2001, defines the policies and procedures in administration/training of ROTC Units in relation to the other two components, Civic Welfare Training Service and Literacy Training Service, of the National Service Training Program.

Training

Training is the major task handled by RESCOM. Its primary arms are the university/college-based Department of Military Science and Tactics-administered mandatory basic and the optional advanced Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC); and the territorial unit-administered Basic Citizen's Military Training.

Reserve Officer's Training Corps (ROTC)

Basic ROTC is the only component required by a tertiary level student to have completed as requirement for completion of the National Service Training Program. Military subjects are provided similar to how military instructions are conducted in the service academies and graduates are automatically enlisted in the reserve force of the particular service branch administering the training. Advance ROTC is purely voluntary in nature and that Advance ROTC Cadets are provided a modest allowance after passing the requirements for their respective Advance ROTC Examination. Completion of Advance ROTC is considered a graduate qualification in Military Science, and such graduates who subsequently progress to the Probationary Officer Training Course are commissioned as 2nd Lieutenants.
Other than time-in-grade and merit promotions, rank adjustments are authorised depending on civilian qualifications, as well as their reciprocity to the operating environment.

Basic Citizen's Military Training (BCMT)

Basic Citizen's Military Training is a military training course conducted by the Philippine Army through RESCOM, PA. It is an entry-level training course undertaken by Filipino citizens wanting to enlist in the reserve force.
BCMT instruction is administered by a joint training pool of military instructors from both regular and reserve forces and is usually conducted inside any of the Philippine Army's training camps. Guest instructors are requested from other government agencies and non-government organizations for specialized instructions.
Special Basic Citizen's Military Training is a special course conducted by the Philippine Army in response to a request from a Local Government Unit. Funding is usually provided for by the requesting agency as compared to regular BCMT which receives funding from the Army.

Military Orientation Training (MOT)

This is specialized training provided by the AFP, through RESCOM, PA for volunteer employees of private or public organizations of utility service providers assigned as a Philippine Army Affiliated Reserve Unit.

Types of Army Reservists

There are currently three types of reservists in the Armed Forces of the Philippines Reserve Force:

Categorization of Reservists and Reserve Units

Section 12, Article 5, of Republic Act 7077 breaks down and categorizes reservists and their units based on various criteria cited by this law.First Category Reservists - Able bodied Reservists aged 18 up to 35 years of age, inclusive.Second Category Reservists - Able bodied Reservists aged 36 up to 51 years of age, inclusive.Third Category Reservists - All able-bodied Reservists aged above 52 years of age.

Classification of Reservists and Reserve Units

Section 13, Article 5, of Republic Act 7077 clearly cites the classification of reservists based on their operational readiness for immediate deployment or mobilization.Ready Reserve - physically fit and tactically current reservist personnel that are always on constant alert and training; ready to mobilize once a mobilization order has been given. Reservists who belong to/work for a PAARU is also classified under the Ready Reserve.Standby Reserve - Reservists who do not maintain currency in specialization qualifications but the base for expansion, support and augmentation to the Ready Reserve Force as needed.Retired Reserve - composed of citizens who are qualified for retirement either by length of service or age.

Lineage of commanding officers

Commanders of RESCOM, PA are drawn from both the ranks of Called To Active Duty Reserve Officers and Regular Army Officers that graduated from either Officer Candidate School (OCS) and the Philippine Military Academy (PMA).

Organization

RESCOM's unit are divided into several base units, regionally into 15 Community Defense Groups, having three or more Community Defense Centers incorporated into them, and nine Reserve Infantry Divisions. Army ROTC Management falls under their respective RCDGs.

Base units

  • Headquarters & Headquarters Service Battalion
  • ARESCOM Training School
  • ARESCOM Reservist Personnel Management Center

Line units

Source:
  • 1st Regional Community Defense Group
  • 2nd Regional Community Defense Group
  • 3rd Regional Community Defense Group
  • 4th Regional Community Defense Group
  • 5th Regional Community Defense Group
  • 6th Regional Community Defense Group
  • 7th Regional Community Defense Group
  • 8th Regional Community Defense Group
  • 9th Regional Community Defense Group
  • 10th Regional Community Defense Group
  • 11th Regional Community Defense Group
  • 12th Regional Community Defense Group
  • National Capital Region Regional Community Defense Group
  • 14th Regional Community Defense Group
  • 15th Regional Community Defense Group

Ready Reserve Infantry divisions

Source:

Ready Reserve Light Armor divisions

  • Light Armor Division, PA

Standby Reserve Infantry divisions

Source:

Reserve regiments

  • Artillery Regiment, PA

Deactivated units

The Following Divisions were subsequently de-activated due to the activation of the two Regular Infantry Division with the laters divisional numerical designation.
  • 9th Infantry Division, PA
  • 3rd Infantry Division, PA

Reserve Brigade

  • 1502nd Infantry Brigade, PA

Department of Military Science and Tactics (DMST) Groups (Army ROTC Units)

Philippine Army Affiliated Reserve Units (PAARUs)

Prominent Filipino Army Reservists

Commissioned officers

Non-commissioned officers