AFP Reservist Act of 1991 Summary

Republic Act No. 7077: AFP Reservist Act of 1991

Purpose

  • Development, organization, training, administration, maintenance, and utilization of the Citizen Armed Force of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Short Title

  • Citizen Armed Forces or Armed Forces of the Philippines Reservist Act.

State Policy

  • Maintain a Regular Military Force in peacetime that can be rapidly expanded by a well-disciplined Citizen Armed Force in war, invasion, or rebellion.
  • Provide the Citizen Armed Force the maximum opportunity to participate in safeguarding state security and assisting in socio-economic development.
  • Organize, train, develop, and maintain the Citizen Armed Force to ensure readiness to respond to service calls.
  • Promote public support and awareness of the Citizen Armed Force's role.
  • Manpower objective conforms to projected and actual needs; not a nation under arms unless necessary.

Functions

  • Provide a base for AFP expansion in war, invasion, or rebellion.
  • Assist in relief and rescue operations.
  • Assist in socio-economic development.
  • Assist in the operation & maintenance of essential government or private utilities.

Reserve Components

  • Army Reserve Component
  • Air Force Reserve Component
  • Navy Reserve Component
  • AFP-Wide Technical Reserve Component
  • Affiliated Reserves

Organization of Reserve Units

  • Conform to the organization of the regular force.
  • Battalion type or equivalent: provincial basis.
  • Brigade or division type or equivalent: regional basis.
  • Affiliated reserve units: prescribed by SND, conforming to existing organization.

Affiliated Units

  • Private and government entities providing essential public service (water, light, transportation, communications) may be organized as affiliated units.

Categories

  • 1st Category: 18 to 35 years old
  • 2nd Category: 36 to 51 years old
  • 3rd Category: Above 51 years of age

Reserve Types

  • Ready Reserve: Mostly 1st Category, organized, trained, and maintained for mobilization during war, national emergency, or local emergencies.
  • Standby Reserve: Mostly 2nd and 3rd Category, organized and assigned to units, maintained through annual assembly tests.
  • Retired Reserve: Qualified for retirement (length of service, old age, or disability); retirement age is 65.

Exemptions from Reservist Duty

  • Members of the clergy (unless they volunteer).
  • Those in active service of the AFP and PNP.
  • Superintendent and uniformed members of National Penitentiary, corrective institutions, and insane asylums.
  • Licensed air and maritime pilots, navigators, and merchant maritime officers.
  • Male citizens between 18 to 25 years old (not reservists) must register for military instructions.

Military Training

  • Registrants selected for military training undergo Basic Citizen Military Training (BCMT) for up to 6 months.
  • Training center in every province with a minimum capacity of 1 Infantry Rifle Company.

Commissioning and Assignment:

  • Elected officials & Presidential appointees may be commissioned in the Reserve Force, AFP.
  • Reservist Officers are notified in writing of their unit assignment and mobilization center.

Reservist Accounting

  • Ready and Standby Reserves must be accounted for, records updated, and whereabouts ascertained.
  • National and local reservist and veterans organizations may assist.

Reservist Training

  • Maximum opportunity for reservists to update skills through compulsory or voluntary training.
  • Compulsory Training: 30-60 days for reserve units/individuals (preferably 1st Category).
  • Voluntary Training: Encouraged for individual reservists (officers and key NCOs of Standby Reserve units).
  • Non-Resident Instruction: Major services conduct for officers to update proficiency.

Active Duty

  • Reserve officers of inactive status may be called to active duty for up to two years.
  • A reserve officer cannot be called again until after five years (except in mobilization).

Readiness Levels

  • Ready Reserve I: Ready to deploy in >7 days after activation; CCIES ready for issuance; 20% supernumeraries.
  • Ready Reserve II: Ready to deploy in >15 days after activation.

Mobilization Types

  • Full Mobilization: All Ready Reserve and Standby Reserve units activated.
  • Partial Mobilization: Only Ready Reserve units activated.
  • Selective Mobilization: Selected Ready Reserve units of involved localities activated.

Pay and Benefits During Active Duty

  • Reservists receive pay, allowances, medical care, hospitalization, and other privileges as Regular Force members.

Auxiliary Services:

  • Civil Auxiliary Service: Maintain law & order, assist in rescue & relief operations, participate in socio-economic projects, deliver health services. No firearms or police powers.
  • Military Auxiliary Service: Meeting local insurgency threats. Ready Reserve units, allowed to carry firearms for defense of localities.
  • Reservists performing auxiliary service shall receive allowances and burial benefits.

Women in the AFP

  • Women have the right and duty to serve, with equivalent standards except for physiological adjustments.

Definition of Reservist

  • Citizen soldiers who compose the AFP Reserve Force.

Reservist Roles

  • Peacetime: Career development, unit training, military exercises, Internal Security Operations (ISO), Civil-Military Operations (CMO), intelligence collection.
  • Crises: Nation-building: MEDCAP, Disaster Operation, Rehabilitation Operation.
  • Wartime: Service support, base defense, combat forces.

Sources of Reservist Officers

  • MS-43 (POTC) graduates
  • College graduates (4+ years) and Basic ROTC with PRC or Bar Licenses
  • Retired and honorably separated officers
  • Elected Public officials and Presidential Appointees
  • Qualified active service NCOs (RA 718)
  • Key and Technical personnel of AFP Affiliated Reserve Units
  • Degree holders (4+ years study) and Basic ROTC graduates
  • MNSA Graduates

Sources of Enlisted Reservists

  • Graduates of ROTC
  • Graduates of authorized Basic Mil Instruction (BCMT, SBCMT, CAFGU BMT, etc.)
  • Retired and honorably separated EP
  • Non-Commission Officers under existing laws including those procured under PROJECT 36-70

Reservist Benefits

  • Professional Military Educational Courses
  • AFP Civic and Public Affairs Activities
  • Military awards, medals, and ribbons
  • Reservist ID cards
  • AFPCES goods and services (tax-free with ID)
  • Subsistence allowance (P90/day), free hospitalization, full military honors (death on active duty)
  • AFP transient and recreational facilities nationwide
  • CCIE (uniform) during active-duty training
  • Chance to become a General Officer
  • C130 flights
  • Discount on permit to carry firearms fees at FEU, Camp Crame
  • State Partnership Program (foreign nations links)

Accomplishments of Reservists

  • Include various rescue, relief, medical, and civic action programs.

Teamwork

  • Key elements: dealing with change, conflict, and reaching potential. The needs of the team are best met when we meet the needs of individual person.