PAM 3-02

Chapter I
Introduction
0101. The armor plays a significant role in the past and current operations of the Philippine
Army. Commonly, they are attached to the infantry battalions and brigades. Because of
armor mobility, firepower and flexibility, their major roles will be for maneuver and
economy of force.

0102. The history of the armor in the Philippine Army traces its roots to what is known as
the Regiment of Lancers, a component of the colonial army who served as one of the elite
units that descended from a squadron of Dragoons of Luzon. Soon after, a unit known as the
Guardia a Caballo (Guards on Horseback) was created in 1755 against the Spanish colonial
forces. During the first Philippine revolutionary government, on 23 June 1898 the Cavalry
Corps were formally created as one of the principal combat arms issued by Gen. Emilio
Aguinaldo.

0103. During the American occupation in 1922, the 26th Cavalry, Philippine Scouts was
organized at Fort Stotsenberg (later Clark Air Base and now Clark Special Economic Zone),
Pampanga. However, the 26th Cavalry lost to a stronger force after persevering heroically
during the defense of Bataan in World War II. In 01 March 1952, the postwar 1st Cavalry
Squadron was organized under Col. Jacobo Zobel with the prewar Cavalry Regiment
personnel recalled from the different units to comprise this fledgling organization. The first
armored vehicle used by the Filipino was the World War I vintage 6.5-ton Renault Ft 17. The
squadron was re-designated as the 1st Light Armor Battalion, 1ID and other similar units
were activated in other divisions and separate brigades of the Army in 01 April 1974.

0104. Philippine Army Light Armor Regiment (PALAR) integrated all the existing Light
Armor Battalions and Separate Companies of the Army on 16 August 1976. On 19 March
1986, the unit was upgraded into a brigade size and was officially designated as the Light
Armor Brigade or LABde. The Light Armor Brigade became Light Armor Division on 11
September 2006 then upgraded into a Mechanized Infantry Division on 01 April 2013.

Operational Environment
Philippine Army Operating Environment

0105. The country’s strategic depth is determined by the land domain where the people, the
government, its culture and socio-political and economic infrastructure- that defines it as a
nation – reside. As such, the conditions, circumstances, influences that affect the employment
of Army capabilities, must be understood the PA Operating Environment must be viewed
with the following physical and non-physical characteristics:

a. Archipelagic. The Philippines is an archipelagic country that consists of around 7,100

islands with an estimated 31,800 kilometers of coastline. It is divided into three main island
groups, namely: Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Each island group has unique physical
characteristics. Most of the islands are huge enough to accommodate large populations since
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their local resources allow for long-term habitation and development. These characteristics of
the physical operating environment dictate that the most military operations will potentially
happen across a non-contiguous land domain with intervening variables such as political,
economic, cultural and social factors.

b. Disaster-prone. The Philippines is prone to natural calamities due to its geographic

location being situated along the “Pacific Ring of Fire” and “Pacific Typhoon Belt.” This
makes the Philippines a consistent witness to severe weather conditions as well as earth-
shaking volcanic and seismic activities. Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief
(HADR) will continue to compete with the PA traditional task of warfighting.

c. Highly Urbanized. According to a recent population study, by 2025, Metro Manila

will be considered as one of the mega-cities in Asia with a projected population of 14.8
million. Such will be the trend in other metropolitan areas of the country as well. Protecting
population and infrastructures in a high-density urban terrain from the impact of war is a high
probability in the future.

d. Universally Connected. Global economic, social, and communications systems are

becoming highly interconnected. Information is disseminated immediately through various
means. The transmission of information at high rates of consumption amplifies the interaction
among people and organizations on a global scale. This highly connected environment makes
the conduct of Army operations equally advantageous and precarious.

e. Politically, Economically, And Socially Constrained. The political and social

dynamics primarily define the trajectory of national priorities. The economic capacity of the
nation influences what it may and may not do. Currently, economic pressures and fiscal
constraints curtail the nation’s potentials.

f. Collective Environment. National security is a shared responsibility of government

and non-government agencies, organizations, and partner nations. Internally, a collective
environment would mean that both government and non-government sectors have a certain
degree of shared interests, concerns, and responsibilities – which are manifested through joint
efforts of various sectors of society. Externally, a collective environment is composed of the
shared concerns of nations and how they forge partnerships for the common good. Therefore,
a collective environment requires that all the sectors involved must have the capacity for
interoperability.

g. Culturally Diverse. The diversity of the country’s demography, as an effect of the

Philippines being an archipelago and its long history of interaction with other countries,
contributed to the uniqueness of the Philippine culture. In fact, local sub-cultures are distinct
from every region in the country. The Philippine populace is composed of a multitude of
ethnic groups that have their respective cultural practices, norms and traditions. With these,
the culture of the people in a particular region impacts on the conduct of military operations
as far as establishing legitimacy and generating popular support is concerned.