The Reserve Command (RESCOM, PA; ) 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.National Defense Act of 1935Conscription in the Philippines

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 (forerunner of the Phil Air Force), the Philippine Constabulary, and the Philippine Offshore Patrol (what would become the Phil Navy later on.) 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.Hunters ROTC

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 (RCDUs). 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 (Reservists Act of 1991) 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 (HPA GO Nr 1300) 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 (CWTS) and Literacy Training Service (LTS), of the National Service Training Program (NSTP).

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);Reserve Officers' Training Corps (Philippines) and the territorial unit-administered Basic Citizen's Military Training (BCMT).

Reserve Officer's Training Corps (ROTC)

Basic ROTC is the only component required by a tertiary (college) 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 (Army) 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 (PAARE). Completion of Advance ROTC is considered a graduate qualification in Military Science, and such graduates who subsequently progress to the Probationary Officer Training Course (POTC) 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 (BCMT) 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 (NGO) for specialized instructions.

Special Basic Citizen's Military Training (SBCMT) is a special course conducted by the Philippine Army in response to a request from a Local Government Unit (LGU). 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 (PAARU).

Types of Army Reservists There are currently three types of reservists in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) 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 (CAD) Reserve Officers and Regular Army Officers that graduated from either Officer Candidate School (OCS) and the Philippine Military Academy (PMA). Tenure beginTenure endRankName1 Sep 19771986COLAnthony Zamora, GSC, PA1 Jul 19921 Jul 1995COLErnesto H Luis, GSC, PA1 Jul 199510 Dec 1997BGENFranklin C Acosta, AFP10 Dec 199730 Nov 2000BGENAntonio J Saldua, AFP30 Nov 200016 Jan 2002COLEdmund G Pacada, GSC, PA16 Jan 200225 Apr 2002COLBernard Basona, GSC, PA25 Apr 20029 Dec 2002BGENMarcial A Collao Jr, AFP9 Dec 200216 Oct 2003BGENJeffer Francia, AFP16 Oct 20031 Jul 2004BGENDionisio A Torina, AFP1 Jul 200424 Aug 2005COLIbarra P Gutierrez, INF, GSC, PA24 Aug 200518 Dec 2006BGENEmmanuel S Cayton, AFP18 Dec 200626 May 2008BGENLuini C Mirar, AFP26 May 20087 Mar 2010BGENDanilo M Garcia, AFP7 Mar 201010 Mar 2011BGENJoel P Ibañez, AFP10 Mar 201119 Oct 2013BGENAlex N Albano, AFP19 Oct 201313 Nov 2014BGENAlexis D Tamondong, AFP13 Nov 20142 Feb 2016BGENPaolo Leo Ma G. Miciano, AFP2 Feb 201616 Sep 2016BGENPascual Luis D Bedia, AFP16 Sep 2016 26 Mar 2020MGENBernie S Langub, PA26 Mar 202010 Jul 2021MGENPeale Jon L Bondoc, PA10 Jul 20215 Nov 2022MGENFernando V Felipe, PA5 Nov 202227 Feb 2023COLSamuel B Manzano, PA (acting)27 Feb 202320 Jan 2025MGENRomulo A Manuel, PA20 Jan 20254 Feb 2025BGENSamuel B Manzano, PA (acting)4 Feb 20253 Nov 2025MGENRamon P Zagala, PA3 Nov 2025presentMGENRonald Jess S Alcudia, PA

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 (Provisional)

Line units Source: 1st Regional Community Defense Group (Camp Lt Tito B Abat, Manaoag, Pangasinan) 2nd Regional Community Defense Group (Camp Melchor F Dela Cruz Annex, Soyung, Echague, Isabela) 3rd Regional Community Defense Group (Camp Gen Servillano S Aquino, San Miguel, Tarlac City) 4th Regional Community Defense Group (Camp Gen Macario Sakay, Los Baños, Laguna) 5th Regional Community Defense Group (Camp Gen Simeón A Ola, Legazpi City, Albay) 6th Regional Community Defense Group (Camp Gen Adriano Hernández, Dingle, Iloilo City) 7th Regional Community Defense Group (Camp Lapu-lapu, Cebu City) 8th Regional Community Defense Group (Camp Downes, Ormoc, Leyte) 9th Regional Community Defense Group (Kuta Dao, Pagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur) 10th Regional Community Defense Group (Camp Edilberto Evangelista, Patag, Cagayan de Oro City) 11th Regional Community Defense Group (Camp San Gabriel, Mintal Tugbok District, Davao City) 12th Regional Community Defense Group (Camp Siongco, Awang, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Norte) National Capital Region Regional Community Defense Group (Fort Andres Bonifacio, Taguig City) 14th [CAR] Regional Community Defense Group (Brgy. Mabatobato, Lamut, Ifugao) 15th [CARAGA] Regional Community Defense Group (Camp Romualdo Rubi, Butuan)

Ready Reserve Infantry divisions Source: 2nd Infantry Division (Ready Reserve), PA (Lupi, Camarines Sur) 4th Infantry Division (Ready Reserve), PA (Cp Camp Natividad, Malaybalay City, Bukidnon) 5th Infantry Division (Ready Reserve), PA (Cp Elpidio Quirino, Bulag, Bantay, Ilocos Sur 6th Infantry Division (Ready Reserve), PA (Cp BG Gonzalo H Siongco, Tacurong, Maguindanao del Norte) 8th Infantry Division (Ready Reserve), PA (Cp Vicente Lukban, Catbalogan, Western Samar) 10th Infantry Division (Ready Reserve), PA (Cp Bancasi, Libertad, Butuan, Agusan del Norte) 12th Infantry Division (Ready Reserve), PA (Cp Juan Villamor, Bangued, Abra)