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As part of the military reforms introduced in 1942 the Republic of the Philippines was divided into ten military districts, each responsible for the administrative control of military units, formations, military schools, and various local military establishments, both of the Regular Army and the reserves. This territorial system was adopted to provide a more efficient management of army units, their training and other operations activities related to combat readiness.

The Military Districts were established as follows:

Military District One: Baguio, Luzon
Military District Two: Tarlac, Luzon
Military District Three: San Fernando, Luzon
Military District Four: Lipa, Luzon
Military District Five: Daraga, Luzon
Military District Six: Iloilo City, Iloilo
Military District Seven: Bacolod, Negros
Military District Eight: Cebu City, Cebu
Military District Nine: Tacloban, Leyte
Military District Ten: Davao, Mindanao

The establishment of five districts on the island of Luzon reflected the new postwar strategic orientation of the Philippine Army, which saw the principal threat being the possibility of renewed Chinese aggression and direct attacks on Luzon.

The previous divisional establishment of the Philippine Army was found to be oversize and cumbersome, particularly when the large divisions were mobilized in the fall of 1941. On the whole they lacked modern transportation. In 1942 a new establishment was promulgated, which reduced the field strength of the division from some 18,000 officers and men to a much more manageable 13,000; this also permitted the formation of additional divisions without too great an increase in the size of the Army.

The new divisions comprised:

Divisional headquarters element
Three infantry regiments, each of three battalions
One cavalry regiment, for reconnaissance
One artillery regiment of four battalions – three with 75mm field guns and one with 105mm field howitzers
One antiaircraft battalion
One engineer battalion
Divisional service and medical troops

Tabular information:

Officers: 476
Non-commissioned Officers: 1,729
Enlisted Personnel: 10,646

M1911 Pistol: 2,386
M1933 Rifle: 10,384
M1928 Sub-machinegun: 480
M1933 Light Machinegun: 417
M1938 Heavy Machinegun: 130
M1937 Mortar: 54
M1931 Mortar: 82
M1936 Antitank Gun: 29
M1932 Field Gun: 36
M1933 Howitzer: 12
M1934 Light Antiaircraft Gun: 27

The establishment called for 1,569 motor vehicles per division – including 462 field cars, 825 light trucks, 234 medium trucks and 48 gun tractors.

The standard infantry division of the Philippine Army, even in its revised 1942 Establishment, was considered to be too road-bound for employment in many of the mountainous areas of the country, such as Mindanao. Therefore an alternate, light division was envisioned, relying principally upon animal transport and with a slightly smaller complement of heavy weapons. The standard field artillery regiment was replaced by a mountain artillery regiment of three, rather than four, battalions.

The new light (mountain) divisions comprised:

Divisional headquarters element
Three infantry regiments, each of three battalions
One cavalry regiment, for reconnaissance
One artillery regiment of three battalions with 75mm mountain guns
One antiaircraft battalion
One engineer battalion
Divisional service and medical troops

Tabular information:

Officers: 428
NCO: 1,518
Enlisted: 9,501

M1911 Pistol: 1,994
M1933 Rifle: 9,412
M1928 SMG: 411
M1933 LMG: 368
M1938 HMG: 130
M1937 Mortar: 54
M1931 Mortar: 76
M1936 AT Gun: 2
M1928 Mountain Gun: 36
M1934 LAA Gun: 24

The establishment provided for 467 motor vehicles – chiefly field cars and light trucks; and 2,567 animals, including 1,336 mules.

Experience with the Armored Brigade formed in 1940 had shown that organization to be unbalanced and cumbersome. As part of the Army’s reorganization the single armored brigade was broken up and combined with other mechanized troops to form several independent all-arms brigades.

It comprised:

One light tank battalion
One motorized infantry battalion
One reconnaissance battalion
One motorized artillery battalion
One antiaircraft company
Service elements

Tabular information:

Officers: 86
NCO: 277
Enlisted: 1,554

M1911 Pistol: 416
M1933 Rifle: 1,431
M1928 SMG: 147
M1933 LMG: 64
M1938 HMG: 9
M1937 Mortar: 6
M1931 Mortar: 6
M1936 AT Gun: 3
M1934 LAA Gun: 12
M1932 Field Gun: 12
Armored Cars: 30
Light Tanks: 56

The establishment provided for a total of 411 motor vehicles

As of 1 January 1933

4 infantry divisions
2 calvary divisions
2 independent infantry regiments
1 armoured brigade

The Infantry Division has a mobilised strength of 12,000 men, and a peacetime strength of 4,000
3 Infantry Regiments
1 Artillery Regiment (24 x 75mm field guns, 8 x 105mm howitzers)
1 Engineer Company
1 Signal Company
Headquarters and Rear Service units

The Cavalry Division has a mobilised strength of 8,000 men, and a peacetime strength of 2,500
3 Cavalry Brigades of 2 Regiments each (4 Squadrons per regiment)
1 Cavalry Artillery Regiment (24 x 75mm guns)
1 Engineer Squadron
1 Signal Squadron
Headquarters and Rear Service units

The Independent Infantry Regiment has a mobilised strength of 4,000 men, and a peacetime strength of 2,000
1 Infantry Regiment
1 Engineer Squadron
1 Signal Squadron
Headquarters and Rear Service units

The Armoured Brigade has a mobilised strength of 1,500 men, and a peacetime strength of 750
12 Whippet tanks
16 Japanese Type 88 tanks
24 Atlantean NH-28 armoured cars

In addition, there are two brigades of Marines, at a strength of 5,000 men each

1st Cavalry Division circa 1940 (Two in Service)

The 1st Cavalry Division is composed of three cavalry brigades of two “regiments” (1), an artillery regiment composed of six batteries, one engineer squadron, one tankette squadron utilized as a heavy weapons support unit with tankettes carrying additional 81mm mortars, one AA squadron porteed in trucks, one signal squadron and supporting branches.

• 7,782 x men
• 24 x 75mm Skoda-Davao field guns
• 12 x 25mm Skoda-Davao copies of Type 93 Japanese designed AA guns
• 36 x 37mm Skoda-Davao copies of Type 94 Japanese designed AT guns
• 12 x Tancik 37 Skoda-Davao tankettes
• 24 x 81mm mortars
• 60 x 60mm mortars
• 160 x machine guns
• 50 x motor vehicles
• 7,196 x horses

(1) In reality battalion size units.

1st Infantry Division circa 1940: (Four in service)

The 1st Infantry Division was based in the island of Luzon and was ordered to be fully mobilized in September 1940 due the rising tensions with China at the time. There were three additional infantry divisions in the Filipino Army at the time but actual organizations and equipment in the divisions vary from unit to unit, the main changes in the equipment assigned to the artillery regiment and some of the divisions have additional supporting units attached. While officially the units were reported to the World as 12,000 men strong fully mobilized the Filipino divisions were considerable larger, closer to 20000 than to 10000 men. The 1st Division is composed of three infantry regiments composed of three battalions each; an artillery regiment, a cavalry or motorized battalion, an engineer company, an AA company, an AT company and other supporting elements.

• 18,180 x men (1)
• 9 × 75mm Skoda-Davao towed cannons (2)
• 18 × 105mm Skoda-Davao towed howitzers (2)
• 9 × 150mm Skoda-Davao towed howitzers (2)
• 24 × 81mm mortars
• 120 × 60mm mortars
• 24 × 25mm Skoda-Davao copy of the Type 93 Japanese designed towed antitank/antiaircraft guns
• 54 × 37mm Skoda-Davao copy of the Type 94 Japanese designed towed antitank gun (3)
• 12 × S-I 57mm (4) infantry support vehicles
• 20 × Lt-38 57mm cruiser tanks (5)
• 24 × Tancik 37 tankettes (6)
• 372 x machineguns
• 250 x motorized vehicles (7)
• 1,500 x horse drawn wagons

(1) The 2nd and 3rd have cavalry battalions attached instead of motorized battalions and are slightly smaller than the 1st and 4th Divisions.
(2) The artillery regiments of the Division were organized differently. The 2nd Division had 24 75mm and 24 105mm artillery pieces; the 3rd had 36 75mm artillery pieces, and the 4th had 18 75mm and 24 105mm artillery pieces.
(3) Large number of antitank guns is because they are also utilized as infantry support weapons and issued with anti-personnel rounds in addition to AT rounds.
(4) Skoda-Davao copy of Type 85 Japanese gun.
(5) Only Division with Tank Company attached. Utilized a 57mm high-velocity gun developed by Skoda-Davao.
(6) 2nd and 3rd Divisions don’t have any tankettes assigned.
(7) Number varies depending of cavalry or motorized unit attached.

1st Armored Brigade circa 1940: (One in service)

The 1st Armored increased in size steadily through the 1930’s and by the middle of the year 1940 was composed of one motorized infantry regiment composed of three battalions, one fully motorized towed artillery battalion, one tank regiment composed of three tank battalions, a tankette company, a fully motorized AA company, a fully motorized AT company, an engineer company and supporting units.

• 5,987 x men
• 12 × 75mm Skoda-Davao towed cannons
• 8 × 81mm mortars
• 40 × 60mm mortars
• 140 x machineguns
• 12 x Tancik 37 Skoda-Davao tankettes
• 12 x 25mm Skoda-Davao copies of Type 93 Japanese designed AA guns porteed in trucks
• 24 × 37mm Skoda-Davao copies of the Type 94 Japanese designed antitank gun porteed in trucks
• 4 × S-I 57mm infantry support vehicles
• 180 × Lt-38 57mm cruiser tanks
• 652 x support vehicles

Each of the ten military districts supported a reserve infantry brigade, which in wartime would be mobilized to form the cadre of new infantry divisions. The reserve brigades drew their manpower from local volunteers as well as conscripts having fulfilled their obligations in the Regular Army.

Each brigade comprised:

Brigade headquarters element
Four infantry battalions
One cavalry squadron, for reconnaissance
One artillery battalion, with 75mm field guns
One engineer company
Brigade service troops

Tabular information:

Officers: 143
NCO: 530
Enlisted: 3,527

M1911 Pistol: 744
M1933 Rifle: 3,422
M1928 SMG: 176
M1933 LMG: 161
M1938 HMG: 56
M1937 Mortar: 24
M1931 Mortar: 24
M1932 Field Gun: 12

The establishment called for 130 motor vehicles per brigade


Military District One: 11th Infantry Brigade
Military District Two: 21st Infantry Brigade
Military District Three: 31st Infantry Brigade
Military District Four: 41st Infantry Brigade
Military District Five: 51st Infantry Brigade
Military District Six: 61st Infantry Brigade
Military District Seven: 71st Infantry Brigade
Military District Eight: 81st Infantry Brigade
Military District Nine: 91st Infantry Brigade
Military District Ten: 101st Infantry Brigade