OF THE 11 Philippine Army Divisions in the Philippines, the Army’s 3rd Infantry (Spearhead) Division based in Camp Peralta, Jamindan, Capiz for the first time has converter its cadre battalion to a maneuver battalion reinforcing more foot soldiers in Panay Island.
Through its formal ceremony on February 3, the 3ID has started organizational training of 12th Infantry (Lick ’Em) Battalion which will undergo a six-week training: four weeks of organizational training and two weeks of Community Support Program (CSP) training at the Battalion Retraining Facilities (BRF) in Camp Peralta.
The ceremony was graced by Major General Eric Vinoya, the newly promoted commander of the Army’s 3ID.
A total of 501 “Lick ‘Em” troopers composed of 19 officers led by Lieutenant Colonel Sisenando Magbalot and 482 enlisted personnel will undergo the said training.
The training aims to develop and enhance the operational capability of the 12IB and capacitate its personnel in conducting CSP in the grassroots communities prior to their redeployment.
Vinoya said that the refilling and organizational training of the 12IB is part of the government’s effort to eradicate insurgency by the year 2022 wherein the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) will be needing more soldiers and Battalions, in order to accomplish this mission.
For the Army transformation from cadre battalions into maneuver battalions are one way to eradicate insurgency not only in Panay Island but the whole country.
Vinoya added that to achieve this end, they need more soldiers and more battalions to swiftly address the situation. “With this, the headquarters Philippine Army started to create new battalions and transition cadre battalions into maneuver battalions,” Vinoya added.
“Consider the refilling and organizational training of your unit as a house or business renovation wherein you need to destroy a portion of it to restore and build a new and stronger one. It will be hard for you because you will again endure pain and pressure, but it will polish your flaws and bring out the best in you,” Vinoya said.
Further, the 3ID Commander reminded the troops to take the training seriously since they are doing this not only for the betterment of their unit but also for the welfare of the Visayan community.
“Give your best shot during the training for you are doing this to prepare yourselves and your unit in performing and bringing your mandate to the next level. This time, you will not only serve the Visayans but will fulfill their fervent desire for an insurgency-free community,” he added.
“Today, we will formally start your journey as a reinvented and reinvigorated 12th infantry battalion. Consider this like a house or business renovation that you need to destroy something and you need to build something. Of course, this will be hard. You will be subjected again to pain and pressure in order to polish the flaws and bring out the best in you. At the end of this organizational training, the army would be expecting that your battalion would be in top shape that is ready to face the enemy, anytime or anywhere,” Vinoya said.
For the 3ID chief, the process that the 12IB is undergoing is quite similar to creating a new infantry battalion. The officers and men came from different units and none of them had the opportunity to choose who will be assigned with them.
“You can look at it as a chance to start things right. To establish the correct internal control systems, a positive culture, or what you have hoped that your previous battalion should have been.
This is the opportunity to be creative, to invent new things and to get away from established norms that have been leading the army to mediocrity and degradation,” Vinoya said.
As new pioneers of the 12IB, Vinoya said their hand lies the future of this battalion.
“You can start to paint a disciplined, competitive and cohesive battalion or you can paint the otherwise. Your efforts will go down the history and I am positive that with the leadership of Lieutenant Colonel Sisenando Magbalot, we can expect a better chapter in the book of 12IB,” he said.
No official words yet of where will the 12IB will be based, but according to the Army, they will augment the 61st Infantry Battalion (61st IB), the only battalion in Panay Island and will be stationed somewhere in central Panay Island. The 61st IB covers the provinces of Iloilo, Guimaras, Capiz, and Antique.
12IB is administratively supervising the Citizen Armed Forces Geographical Unit both in Panay and Negros Island when it was a cadre battalion. Now, it is composed of different regular army officers and soldiers from different units of the 3ID that will become the second maneuver battalion in Panay Island.
Magbalot, who is the new battalion commander of the newly formed 12IB is formerly the commander of the 61st IB based in Miagao, Iloilo serving from May 2017 to April 2019 with 26 encounters with the rebels during his time as commander.
During Magbalot’s leadership at the 61IB, the Army was able to neutralize 17 communist fronts and regional leaders of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army and recover 11 high-powered and low-powered firearms. (SunStar Philippines)