The 9th Infantry Division, Philippine Army, known officially as the Spear Division, is the

Philippine Army The Philippine Army (PA) ( Tagalog: ''Hukbong Katihan ng Pilipinas''; in literal English: ''Army of the Ground of the Philippines''; in literal Spanish: ''Ejército de la Tierra de la Filipinas'') is the main, oldest and largest branch of the ...

's primary

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...

unit assigned to combat communist insurgency in the

Bicol Region Bicol, known formally as the Bicol Region or colloquially as Bicolandia ( bcl, Rehiyon kan Bikol; Rinconada Bikol: ''Rehiyon ka Bikol''; Waray Sorsogon, Masbateño: ''Rehiyon san Bikol''; tl, Rehiyon ng Bikol), is an administrative region of ...

History

The 9th Infantry Brigade (S) PA was activated on August 15, 2002, pursuant to General Orders nr 456 HPA dated September 2, 2002. On same order, 901st and 902nd Infantry Brigades were activated, with the personnel and equipment of the unfilled 202nd and 203rd Infantry Brigades, 2ID, respectively serving as their nucleus. Moreover, 2nd IB, 22nd IB and 42nd IB were reassigned from 2ID to the 9th Brigade (Sep) to constitute as the initial organic Battalions of the Bde (Sep) while 31st IB and two (2) Batteries of 4FAB and two (2) Companies of LABde were also placed under OPCON of the Brigade (Sep). On January 12, 2004, the 9th Infantry Division (Provisional) was activated pursuant to GO Nr 56, HPA dated January 26, 2004. It was then under the Command of MAJ GENERAL JOHN D BOLHAYON AFP who can be credited as the 1st Commanding General of the Division (Provisional). It was during his time that initial measures were made to establish the Division Headquarters at Camp Elias Angeles at Brgy. San Jose,

Pili, Camarines Sur Pili, officially the Municipality of Pili (, Rinconada Bikol: Banwaan ''ka Pili'', tgl, Bayan ng Pili) is a 1st class municipality and capital of the Philippine Province, province of Camarines Sur, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it ...

. However, initial developments and camp structures, which were newly constructed, were heavily damaged and flattened by three (3) successive strong typhoons that struck the Bicol Region, namely: YOYONG, WINNIE, and KIKAY in November 2004. On October 1, 2004, the 9th Infantry Division (P), was made a regular Infantry Division, PA pursuant to GO Nr 517, HPA dated October 6, 2004.

Mission

Their mission is to conduct sustained Internal Security Operations (ISO) in the

, excluding

Masbate Masbate, officially the Province of Masbate ( Masbateño: ''Probinsya san Masbate''; tl, Lalawigan ng Masbate), is an island province in the Philippines located near the midsection of the nation's archipelago. Its provincial capital is Masbate C ...

(8ID), to neutralize the Southern Tagalog Regional Party Committee (STRPC) and the armed wing of the

Communist Party of the Philippines The Communist Party of the Philippines ( fil, Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas) is a far-left, Marxist-Leninist-Maoist revolutionary organization and communist party in the Philippines, formed by Jose Maria Sison on 26 December 1968. It is desi ...

(CPP), the

New Peoples Army The New People's Army ( fil, Bagong Hukbong Bayan), abbreviated NPA or BHB, is the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), based primarily in the Philippine countryside. It acts as the CPP's principal organization, aimi ...

(NPA) in order to create a physically and psychologically sound environment conducive for development and commerce of the Bicol Region.

Current units

The following are the Brigades that are under the 9th Infantry Division: * 901st Infantry "Fight 'Em" Brigade * 902nd Infantry "Fight and Serve" Brigade * 903rd Infantry "Patriot" Brigade The following are the Battalions that are under the 9th Infantry Division: * 2nd Infantry "Second to None" Battalion * 83rd Infantry "Matikas" Battalion * 42nd Infantry "Tagapagtanggol" Battalion * 49th Infantry "Good Samaritans" Battalion * 9th Infantry "Sandigan" Battalion * 31st Infantry "Charge" Battalion * 22nd Infantry "Valor" Battalion * 65th Infantry "Stalwart" Battalion

Operations

* Anti-guerrilla operations against the

New People's Army The New People's Army ( fil, Bagong Hukbong Bayan), abbreviated NPA or BHB, is the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), based primarily in the Philippine countryside. It acts as the CPP's principal organization, aimi ...

. * Anti-terrorist operations against local terrorists operating in their AOR.

References

External links

Official Site of the PA 9ID.
* http://www.spear9id.com/ {{DEFAULTSORT:9th Infantry (Spear) Division Infantry divisions of the Philippines Military units and formations established in 2004