THE Philippine Army is enlisting 1,000 Indigenous Peoples (IP) across Mindanao into the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), a military official said Saturday, July 15.
First Infantry Division Spokesman Jo-ar Herrera said that 350 of the 1,000 indigenes will be hired in the areas that are under the 1division.
The area of jurisdiction of the First Infantry Division covers the provinces of Lanao del Sur, Lanao del Norte, Misamis Occidental, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga Sibugay, Basilan, and Sulu.
Herrera said the objective in enlisting IPs is geared towards the complete elimination of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) and other threat groups in the remote areas.
The basic requirements to enlist into the Philippine Army are as follows: 18 to 35 years old; five feet and above in height; Philippine Statistics Authority-authenticated birth certificate with Official Receipt (OR); parents’ marriage contract with OR; Form 137, Transcript of Records, Diploma with dry seal (high school and college); two copies of 2×2 pictures with name tag; valid identification cards; and, must attain an AFP Service Aptitude Test score of at least 45.
The applicants must also have a certificate coming from the National Commission on Indigenous People for admission.
Interested and qualified applicants can register at the following locations: Gate 2, First Infantry Division headquarters at Camp Major Cesar Sang-an in Upper Pulacan, Labangan, Zamboanga del Sur; and, 102nd Infantry Brigade headquarters in Sanito, Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay. (Bong Garcia/SunStar Philippines)