By Franklin P. Gumapon
LABANGAN, Zamboanga del Norte - All is ready for the 78th founding anniversary of the Philippine Army’s (PA) 1st Infantry (Tabak) Division tomorrow with Lieutenant General (LTGEN) Alan Rio Luga, vice chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), as guest of honor and speaker.
LTGEN Luga will talk on the theme, “Kahusayan sa Tungkulin at Disiplina Tungo sa Kapayapaan at Kaunlaran” (Excellence in Performance toward Peace and Progress).
A son of a military man, Luga graduated from the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) in 1981. His father Gen. Emilio S. Luga Jr. was a former commanding officer of the 1st Infantry (Tabak) Division.
Tabak commanding officer Major General (MGEN) Felicito Virgilio M. Trinidad Jr. disclosed that the anniversary program will start at exactly 9:30 a.m. at Kuta Major Cesar L. Sang-an, Upper Pulacan, Labangan, Zamboanga del Sur.
Pinning of medals to deserving soldiers, presentation of plaques of appreciation, distribution of Tabak Venture Educational Certificates and oath-taking of the members of the Multi-stakeholders Advisory Board (MSAB) are among the major activities during the program.
It could be recalled that the Tabak became the first regular division under the Philippine Commonwealth Army on May 5, 1936 stationed at Camp Murphy (now Camp Aguinaldo) in Quezon City. It transferred to its present location at Camp Major Cesar L. Sang-an in Barangay Pulacan, Labangan, Zamboanga del Sur on Dec. 4, 1989.
Under this division are four infantry brigades namely, the 101st (Three Red Arrows) based in Del Pilar, Piňan, Zamboanga del Norted, Brigade, 102nd (Igsoon) Brigade in Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay , 103rd (Haribon) Brigade in Basilan and 104th (Sultan) Brigade in Sulu.
Its area of jurisdiction straddles the provinces of Tawi-Tawi, Sulu, Basilan, Zamboanga Sibugay, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga del Norte and Misamis Occidental including the cities of Isabela and Lamitan in Basilan Province, Zamboanga, Pagadian of Zamboanga del Sur, Dipolog and Dapitan of Zamboanga del Norte, and Ozamis, Oroquieta and Tangub of Misamis Occidental.