CAMPAIGN STREAMERS. Lt. Gen. Bartolome Vicente Bacarro (center), the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff, awards the six campaign streamers to the Army's 10th Infantry "Agila" Division (10ID), received by Maj. Gen. Nolasco Mempin (right), commander of the 10ID, during the 87th AFP Founding Anniversary Recognition Ceremony at GHQ Canopy, Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City on Wednesday (Dec. 21, 2022). Campaign Streamer awards are given to military units instrumental in the dismantling of the communist guerilla fronts. (Photo from 10ID)
DAVAO CITY - The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) awarded on Wednesday the Army's 10th Infantry "Agila" Division (10ID) with 18 campaign streamers for dismantling nine communists New People’s Army (NPA) units in its area of responsibility.
In an interview, Capt. Mark Anthony Tito, 10ID spokesperson, said AFP chief of staff Lt. Gen. Bartolome Vicente Bacarro led the awarding ceremony during AFP's 87th Founding Anniversary held at GHQ Canopy at Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.
“It has a big impact on the 10ID because it symbolized the successful dismantling of the respective NPA in our area of responsibility,” Tito said in an interview.
Campaign streamer awards are given to military units instrumental in the dismantling of the communist guerilla fronts (GFs), contributing to the AFP's strategic victory against the NPA.
Tito said the 10ID defeated two NPA vertical units, four sub-regional committees (SRC), and three GFs, all under the Southern Mindanao Regional Committee (SMRC), this year.
He noted that Southern Mindanao used to be a stronghold for the Communist Party of the Philippines-NPA due to the high levels of funding and manpower.
This allowed SMRC to support other regional committees with personnel and financial resources, he said.
Beginning 2018, however, 10ID managed to dismantle 16 GFs, four SRCs and nine NPA vertical units within its area of responsibility, resulting in the declaration of an insurgency-free Region 11 in October this year.
The Joint Task Force Agila received six campaign streamers for dismantling SRC1, 2, 4, and 5, the sub-regional guerilla unit (SRGU) of SRC 2, and Regional Sentro De Grabidad (RSDG), Regional Operations Command (ROC).
The Army's 1001st Infantry Brigade also received five campaign streamers for defeating GF 2 and 3, SRC 4, SRGU of SRC 2, and RSDG, ROC; the 701st Infantry Brigade gathered three streamers for annihilating GF 18, SRC 1 and SRC 2.
The 1003rd Infantry Brigade also garnered the streamer for defeating SRC 5, five months before the set deadline of defeating the NPA in the brigade's area of operations.
On the other hand, the 66 Infantry Battalion (IB), 28IB, and 60IB, all under 10ID also garnered three campaign streamers for dismantling GF 18, GF2, and GF 3, respectively.
"We are here with our partner sectors and AFP field units and offices that have proven instrumental in our successful campaign for peace and security. Through this ceremony, we acknowledge their exemplary performances towards our transformation vision of being a source of national pride,” Bacarro said during the awarding ceremony.
Meanwhile, Maj. Gen. Nolasco Mempin, the 10ID commander, attributed the victory to the support of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict and all the military's partner-stakeholders in Southeastern Mindanao.
"The whole Agila Division is overjoyed by the numerous campaign streamers we received. Thus, we offer this God’s gift not only to the Dabawenyos, but to all the Filipino people this Yuletide season and beyond," Mempin said. (PNA)
