Army opens ‘Dagohoy Patrol 

Exercise’ in new jungle base 

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol November 20 (PIA)—The Philippine Army (PA) Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) opens in Bohol a soldier’s patrol exercise that would be most arduous but assures soldier combat-patrol readiness through a battery of physical and mental endurance tests one candidate patrol team completes in a given time. 

The patrol exercise would now be based in the Army’s new Jungle Base Camp in the middle of the forests of Batuan, Bilar, Balilihan and Catigbian, which was opened November 18 in Barangay Rizal Batuan. 

Patterned after a world renowned soldier patrol exercise used by the elites of the British Army, the PA TRADOC in Bohol eyes whetting the operational capability of Philippine soldiers in leadership, field craft, discipline, mental and physical toughness as well as creativity in the Philippine Army’s Dagohoy Patrol Exercise. 

Patterned after the world renowned Cambrian Exercise of the British Army Forces, Dagohoy Patrol Exercise is a continuous long-range patrol of up to eight soldiers who must get across the most rugged and most mountainous terrains of Bohol in 48 hours, the operations officer of the Visayas Army Training Group Captain John Alvin Rico said. 

Named after Francisco Dagohoy, the famous Boholano hero who led the longest revolt in the country, the Dagohoy Patrol Exercise would be open to all PA Units who intend to enhance their operational capability through a battery of physical and mental endurance tests, Capt Rico added. 

The patrol is composed of 8 man team each carrying a minimum load of 50 pounds, and as a team, complete the various scenarios along the route that include tough exercises to score specific points, Capt Rico, who briefed military officials and soldiers enrolled in the current training courses. 

A patrol that is mission and task oriented exercise, the basic criteria to assess the performance of the patrol team is by determining whether or not they complete the various tasks and achieves its Mission. 

Most of these patrol exercises are assessed for military skills, orders and debriefing, as well as obstacle crossing drills, reconnaissance patrol, patrol base operations, field stripping, field observation, tactical combat casualty care including first aid and casualty evacuation procedures, landmine breaching and minefield awareness, raids, close combat skills, radio communications skills and physical endurance. 

This Dagohoy Patrol Exercise aims to give a challenging patrol exercise to enhance unit operational capability and develop a common knowledge and understanding of the different kinds of operations, Capt Rico summed. 

That same day, the PA also opened its Jungle Training base in Barangay Rizal with the Commanding General of the Philippine Army, Lieutenant General Macairog S. Alberto, TRADOC Commander Major General Cornelio H. Valencia Jr., Bohol Administrator Atty. Kathryn Fe Pioquinto representing Governor Arthur Yap, Department of Interior And Local Government Provincial Director Johnjoan Mende, Batuan Sangguniang Bayan Chair on Peace and Order Gamaliel Merlas representing Mayor Antonino Jumawid, Rizal Barangay Chairman Rolando Pataca and Police Regional Mobile Force Battalion Commanding Office PLtCol Esmail Gauna. 

Also on that day, the government released to 25 former rebels (Kanhi Rebelde) or KRs now Kauban sa Reporma, livelihood cash assistance amounting to 975,000. 

The cash the KRs received forms part of the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (ECLIP) of the government. 

Given as an act of goodwill, the government through the ECLIP hands to the former members of the armed struggle and Militia  Bayan (MB) assistance after they decided to go mainstream and take on the rule of law as they took anew their pledge of allegiance to the government for peace and order sustainment. 

No less than PA Commanding General LtGen Alberto himself who handed over the assistance to the KRs, as assisted by Bohol Administrator Atty Pioquinto. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)

TRAVERSE. Bohol’s journey to peace has never been as peaceful that it entails putting up a delicate balance between the string arm of the law and the mild manners of a negotiator. One wrong move and everything could slip out of control, that is whey everyone must work to complete the traverse. (rahc/PIA Bohol ) 

MONKEY BRIDGE. Soldiers on patrol need to cross obstacles, including things like this. The Dagohoy patrol however would have to devise crossings using cruder crossings unlik this one inside the new jungle base in barangay Rizal, Batuan. (PIABohol/47IB)