ILOILO CITY (PIA) –The Philippine Army’s Reserve Command (RESCOM) recently held significant events in the Visayas aimed at bolstering the capabilities and coordination of its Reserve Force.
The events include the convention for Ready Reserve Unit (RRU) commanders and a forum for Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) leaders, simultaneously conducted at the 301st Infantry Brigade Headquarters, Camp Hernandez, Dingle, Iloilo. It focused on equipping Reserve Unit Commanders with the latest policies and procedures in Reserve Force Management.
The event further aimed at enhancing their understanding of how to effectively support Infantry Divisions and Brigades. RRU commanders from the 6th, 7th, and 8th Regional Community Defense Groups (RCDGs) participated in the event.
The convention featured presentations and discussions on a range of topics, including the Reserve Force Development Program, RESCOM Command Thrusts and Accomplishments, the Command Relationship/Role of Ready Reserve Infantry Brigades and Battalions, and the 3ID Campaign Plan and Reserve Force Development Program.
Following the discussions, the Civil-Military Operations Regiment (CMOR) facilitated workshops and presentations of outputs.
Meanwhile, the ROTC Forum was centered on RCDG Operational Evaluation. It brought together ROTC Commandants and Corps Commanders from these units to discuss strategies for promoting cohesion, aligning efforts across units, and enhancing operational readiness.
The forum included interactive discussions and workshops. Both events were attended by Major General Romulo Manuel Jr., RESCOM Commander; Brigadier General Benjamin Hao, Commander of the Civil-Military Operations Regiment; Colonel Lennon Babilonia, the 3rd Infantry Division’s Assistant Division Commander for Reservist and Retiree Affairs; commanders of the three RCDGs in the Visayas, and other officers from the Reserve Command.
The leadership of the 3rd Infantry Division expressed gratitude to RESCOM for conducting these events, which are seen to significantly strengthen the Reserve Force within the Division’s Area of Operations.
“The role of the Reserve Force is crucial to our journey towards establishing a state of Stable Internal Peace and Security (SIPS) in Western and Central Visayas. They are an indispensable force multiplier, and their readiness and capability are vital to our goal,” said Major General Marion R. Sison, Commander of 3ID.
Sison noted that the convention and forum ways that RESCOM is working to ensure that Reserve Units are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and resources they need to effectively support their operations, hence, ensuring that the Reserve Force is ready to respond to any challenge, whether it’s a natural disaster, a humanitarian crisis, or a security threat.
“I am confident that our Reserve Force is up to the task, and I am proud to be working alongside them to achieve a peaceful and progressive Visayas,” he added. (AAL/AGP/PIA 6/3ID Infantry Division of the Philippine Army)
