| Unit Name: | First Infantry Division |
| Dates: | 5 May 1936 – 9 April 1942 (as 1st Regular Division, PCA) 1 July 1947 – present |
| Country: |  Philippines |
| Branch: | Philippine Army |
| Type: | Infantry |
| Role: | Conventional Warfare, Anti-Guerrilla Operations |
| Size: | 3 Brigades |
| Command Structure: | 1st Military District under the Philippine Commonwealth Army (1941–1942) Under the Philippine Army (Since 1 July 1946) |
| Current Commander: | BGen Antonio G. Nafarrete, PA |
| Garrison: | Kuta Major Cesar L. Sang-an, Pulacan, Labangan, Zamboanga Del Sur |
| Nickname: | Tabak Division |
| Motto: | "Your Security, Our Mission Community Development, Our Goal" |
| Battles: | World War II * Philippines campaign (1941–1942) * Battle of Bataan (1942) CPP-NPA-NDF conflict Moro conflict * Zamboanga City crisis * Battle of Marawi |
| Notable Commanders: | BGen Guillermo B. Francisco BGen Mateo M. Capinpin BGen Fidel V. Segundo BGen Cesar F. Fortuno, AFP BGen Raymundo T. Jarque, AFP MGen Diomedio P. Villanueva, AFP MGen Narciso J. Abaya, AFP MGen Romeo B. Dominguez, AFP MGen Glicerio Sua, AFP, MGen Noel A. Coballes AFP |
| Anniversaries: | 4 December |
| Decorations: | Presidential Streamer Award |
| Identification Symbol Label: | Armed Forces Occupational Specialty Insignia |
The 1st Infantry Division, Philippine Army, nicknamed Tabak Division, is the Philippine Army's primary infantry unit, and specializes in anti-guerrilla warfare. The division has been involved in combating terrorists in Southern Mindanao.
Activation
The 1st Infantry (TABAK) Division traces its beginning from the first regular Division of the Philippine Commonwealth Army during the Commonwealth period. It was activated on 18 January 1936 with Brigadier General Guillermo B. Francisco as its first Commanding General, initially, it was filled up by regular troops from the Philippine Constabulary. It was strengthened in 1941 when World War II loomed in the Pacific region.
Established as the 1st Regular Division, Philippine Army was on 5 May 1936 to 9 April 1942 and stationed at Camp Murphy (now Camp Aguinaldo) in Quezon City, Rizal (now Metro Manila). The division was led by Brigadier General Mateo C. Capinpin (1938–1941) who created a formidable unit before the war started. However, due to the expansion of the Philippine Army, units are scattered to different sectors, and experienced soldiers are distributed to different emerging units to help train. General Capinpin himself was transferred to command the 21st Infantry Division as a reserve unit in northern Luzon.
The division was reactivated in Fort McKinley, Rizal as part of BGen. George S. Parker's South Luzon Force in early December 1941 when the Japanese invasion has already commenced. Brigadier General Fidel V. Segundo (1941–1942) was tasked to lead the division throughout the war. With the 1st Infantry Regiment under Captain Alfredo M. Santos, PA, and the 3rd Infantry Regiment under LCol. Kearie Lee Berry and reverted to Captain Santos until end of Bataan. 2nd Infantry Regiment under LCol. Calixto Duque is in Mindanao and wasn't able to return which eventually became part of the Visayas-Mindanao Force of General Sharp. LCol. Berry assumed command of the 1st Infantry Regiment and LCol. Albert Dumas commanded the 3rd Infantry Regiment until the Bataan campaign.
The unit engaged in military operations in the Battle of Bataan from 1 – 9 January 9 April 1942 supporting the USAFFE military forces led by General Douglas MacArthur against the Imperial Japanese troops led by General Masaharu Homma.
When General Douglas MacArthur implemented WPO-3 all forces of North Luzon and South Luzon moved to Bataan including the local troops of the PCA 1st Regular Division were sent to Bataan to augment the USAFFE forces against the Japanese. The Battle of Bataan started in January 9142 until April 1942 which lasted three months denying the Japanese plan to complete the invasion for 50 days. In Bataan leadership changed as LCol. Dennis P. Murphy assumed command of the 1st Infantry Regiment and the 3rd Infantry Regiment is now led by LCol. Leslie Lathrop.
Before the fall of Bataan, Filipino troops and officers of the 1st Regular Division fought side by side with the USAFFE in Bataan, attacking Japanese troops along the Layac Line, Porac-Guagua Line, Abucay-Mauban Line, Battle of Trail 2, the Battle of the Pockets and the Battle of the Points before the invasion at Mount Samat on 3 April 1942. After the Battle of Bataan on 9 April 1942, the local forces under the PCA 1st Regular Division surrendered to the Japanese Imperial troops. The now infamous Death March commenced the following day with more than 78,000 Filipino and American POWs from Mariveles, Bataan to San Fernando, Pampanga, and by train to Camp O'Donnell in Capas, Tarlac.
After the Fall of Bataan in April 1942 the surrendering of troopers of the 1st Regular Division was incarcerated for a few months but released and some officers and men went to the hills to join guerilla units until the liberation of the Philippines by returning American forces in 1945.
| 1st Infantry Division | |
| Subordinate: |
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| Date: | 1936 - 1941 |
The Division was formally reactivated just in time for the PA's final offensives in the Central Luzon region against the HMB on 1 March 1956.
The Division's BCTs served under the United Nations Command during the Korean War, and the reconstituted division trained AFP elements which composed the PHILCAG sent to Vietnam. It also played a vital role in the anti-insurgency campaign, in the Central Luzon and Cagayan Valley in the 1960s.
It was first deployed in Sulu, Basilan, and Tawi-Tawi during the Southern Philippines Secessionist Group outbreak in 1973. At present, it continues to operate in Western Mindanao.
The 1st Infantry Division, Philippine Army also known as Tabak Division, after years in various areas in the county, opened its present headquarters on 4 December 1989 at stationed in Camp Major Cesar L Sang-an in Barangay Pulacan, Labangan, Zamboanga Del Sur after its stint in Jolo, Sulu. It was redeployed in mainland Zamboanga Peninsula and Lanao Provinces (ZAMPELAN) to combat the Communist and Islamic rebel fighters and to counter terrorism in Mindanao, Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi (BASULTA) and started the ongoing Islamic and Communist insurgencies in Mindanao in Southern Philippines on 1969 to date against the Communist rebels of the New People's Army (NPA) and the Islamic rebels and bandits of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG).
The Headquarters of the 1st Infantry (TABAK) Division is located on a 422.81hectare military reservation surrounding Barangay Upper Pulacan, in Labangan, Zamboanga del Sur. This reservation was taken over by the Division from Army Reserve Command (ARESCOM) on 16 August 1987. From being rugged and mountainous, it was slowly developed into a sprawling and thriving military camp with the help of the 545th Engineer Battalion, 52nd Engineering Brigade, Philippine Army.
On 4 May 1991, the Camp was named in honor of Major Cesar L. Sang-an who died defending the country's sovereignty against a superior number of MNLF forces of Barangay Malaning, Labangan, Zamboanga del Sur on 23 March 1973. Sang-an was a brilliant Scout Ranger officer and a courageous fighter. Though twice wounded, he directed and covered his men until he was killed. This heroism earned him the award of the Distinguished Conduct Star (Posthumous) from the Armed Forces of the Philippines. He was born on 3 November 1926 in Kinogitan, Misamis Oriental.
The 1st Infantry (TABAK) Division, Philippine Army to conduct reinvigorated Internal Peace and Security Operations (IPSO) in the AOR to neutralize the CTM, destroy the ASG and JI, hold and contain MILF forces while continuing to observe the primacy of the peace process and neutralize other threat groups in order to establish a physically and psychologically secured environment conducive to progress and development.
Fully-manned in the summer of 1941, and commanded by the truly formidable BGen. Mateo M. Capinpin, the 1st Regular Division of the Philippine Army completely gave its manpower in late August to help fill in the beginning ranks of the Army's ten Reserve Divisions, which were just being mobilized and manned. From September through late November, the 1st Regular Division was, for all practical purposes, de-activated. But its few personnel who remained—and the American and Philippine area commanders who oversaw the emergency reorganizations—were ready to implement careful plans to reassemble enough personnel to re-activate the 1st Division quickly, and then begin filling back in its ranks. When Japanese hostilities broke out on 8 Dec 1941, the 1st Regular Division was only at cadre strength (just its commissioned and senior non-commissioned officers). Within ten days, 18 Dec 1941, it was re-activated and inducted back into the force tabulations of BGen. George M. Parker's South Luzon Force. Its new commanding general, the tough and brilliant West Pointer, BGen. Fidel V. Segundo (PA), set his hand to the task of continuing to bring the Division's units back up to as full a strength possible, all the while fighting a difficult staged retreat from South Luzon into the Bataan peninsula. The following Order of Battle is from late December 1941, but was more or less what the Division structure was throughout the 1942 Bataan Campaign:
The following are the Brigade units that are under the First Infantry Division.
OPCON
The following are the Battalion units under the First Infantry Division.
The following are the Division Reconnaissance Company units under the First Infantry Division.
OPCON