Fort Magsaysay

Last updated
Fort Ramon Magsaysay
Fort Magsaysay Military Reservation (FMMR)
Nueva Ecija, Philippines
Fortmagsaysay22jf 01.JPG
Fort Ramon Magsaysay entrance gate
Philippines Nueva Ecija relief location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Fort Ramon Magsaysay
Philippines relief location map (Luzon).svg
Red pog.svg
Fort Ramon Magsaysay
Philippines relief location map (square).svg
Red pog.svg
Fort Ramon Magsaysay
Coordinates 15°26′17″N121°05′28″E / 15.438°N 121.091°E / 15.438; 121.091
TypeMilitary Base
Site information
Controlled by Philippine Army
United States Army (under jurisdiction of Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement)
Site history
BuiltDecember 19, 1955
In use1955-present Flag of the Philippines.svg  Philippines
MaterialsConcrete, Steel
Garrison information
Garrison
Fort Magsaysay Airfield
Summary
Airport typeMilitary
Operator Philippine Army
LocationFort Ramon Magsaysay, Nueva Ecija, Philippines
Elevation  AMSL 75.85 m / 248.85 ft
Coordinates 15°26′02″N121°05′14″E / 15.43389°N 121.08722°E / 15.43389; 121.08722
Map
Philippines Nueva Ecija location map.svg
Airplane silhouette.svg
RPLV
Philippines location map (Luzon).svg
Airplane silhouette.svg
RPLV
Philippines location map (square).svg
Airplane silhouette.svg
RPLV
Runways
Direction LengthSurface
mft
23L/05R1,6005,249 Asphalt
Source: [1]
Philippine Marines armed with a 5.56 mm M16A1 rifles set up an assault line, while participating in Tactical Recovery of Aircraft and Personnel (TRAP) training at Fort Magsaysay, Nueva Ecija during Exercise BALIKATAN 2004. RP Marines assault line DM-SD-06-10463.JPEG
Philippine Marines armed with a 5.56 mm M16A1 rifles set up an assault line, while participating in Tactical Recovery of Aircraft and Personnel (TRAP) training at Fort Magsaysay, Nueva Ecija during Exercise BALIKATAN 2004.

Fort Ramon Magsaysay, also known as Fort Magsaysay Military Reservation (FMMR) and Fort Mag, is the largest military reservation in the Philippines, and is a key training area of the Philippine Armed Forces. Fort Magsaysay straddles the provinces of Nueva Ecija and Aurora, encompassing Palayan City, Sta. Rosa, Gen. Tinio, Laur, and Dingalan.

Contents

History

Creation

On December 10, 1955, President Ramon Magsaysay enacted the 73,000 hectares (180,000 acres) base centered in Laur, Palayan. [2] The reservation covers portions of the provinces of Nueva Ecija, Bulacan, and Aurora. The reservation is to be used for military training and live-fire exercises.

In its infancy Fort Magsaysay hosted the Army Training Command (ATC) which provided basic training for enlisted personnel and officers and advanced training in some specialties such as infantry and artillery. [3]

As one of the main training grounds of the Philippine Army, Fort Magsaysay hosted the Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) a couple of times in its history. Currently, TRADOC is located in Camp O'Donnell, but majority of the field exercises are conducted in Fort Magsaysay.

Martial law

During Martial Law, Senators Jose W. Diokno, the father of human rights and Ninoy Aquino, the father of the future 15th Pres. Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino were incarcerated in Fort Magsaysay for exactly thirty days after President Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law on September 21, 1972. [4] [5] It is now called the Aquino-Diokno Memorial and is home to the AFP Center for Human Rights.

Recent history

In 1991, Mt. Pinatubo's eruption led to the Philippine government to relocate some of the residents of the volcano and Fort Magsaysay was one of the relocation sites. Almost two decades later, the Philippine Army remains in conflict with tenant farmers, as the latter have been ordered evicted from the military reservation. [6]

Fort Magsaysay's vast tracts of land has time and again attracted a number of claimants, without escaping controversy. [2] [7] [8] In some occasions, illegal loggers have found their way into the reservation. [9] [10]

On September 21, 2012, President Benigno S. Aquino III led the observance of the 40th anniversary by opening the Aquino-Diokno Memorial, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Center for Human Rights Dialogue inside Fort Magsaysay and the museum-replica of the 1973 detention facility of Ninoy (Codenamed: Alpha) and Diokno (Codenamed: Delta).

At present, Fort Magsaysay, along with the Crow Valley Range Complex in Tarlac, provides the Armed Forces of the Philippines and allied nations ample training grounds in modern jungle warfare in large unit formation. The RP-US 2009 Balikatan exercises commenced at Fort Magsaysay. [11] The fort is one of the five bases where US troops and supplies could be stationed under a security deal with the Philippine and US governments. [12]

Fort Magsaysay currently hosts the Mega Drug Abuse Treatment and Rehabilitation Center which was donated by Chinese businessman Huang Rulun after the election of President Rodrigo Duterte in 2016. Portable modular buildings were used, with the DND allocating the land within Fort Magsaysay for the project. The rehab center which is designed to house 10,000 patients has received much criticism from the opposition and various sectors of society. As of 2017 it only received 311 patients. [13] The Department of Health in July 2020 used the Mega Rehab Center as a quarantine facilities for the COVID-19 pandemic. [14]

In 2020, Fort Magsaysay received a budget of P273 million from the DND-DPWH Convergence Program on Strengthening and Expanding Military Readiness for National Security and Development otherwise known as Tatag ng Imprastraktura para sa Kapayapaan at Seguridad (TIKAS) (Stable Infrastructure for Peace and Security) program. This entails constructions, renovation, and refurbishment of facilities in military camps around the country. The project includes construction of a new headquarters for the 7th Infantry Division, a 7.3 km road, barracks and transient facilities for the Light Reaction Regiment and Special Forces units, as well as hangar facilities for the Army Aviation Battalion. [15]

Description

Fort Magsaysay can be reached through the Bangad-Fort Magsaysay Road or through the Sta. Rosa-Fort Magsaysay Road.

The original 73,000-hectare military reservation has been reduced to 35,000 hectares after seven presidential proclamations. Despite this reduction, the sprawling base reaches all the way to the Pacific Ocean, over the Sierra Madre Mountains, with 12 kilometers of coastline. [16]

Fort Magsaysay is also the only Philippine Army base that boast its own runway, apron, aircraft maintenance, and air control facilities. The Philippine Army operates Cessna CE172 Skyhawk and CE421 from Fort Magsaysay.

Fort Magsaysay also has its own Rest & Recreation facility called Pahingahan Complex. ("Pahingahan" is the Filipino word for "a place of rest.") The R&R facility is located on the shores of a man-made lake in the base. Soldiers and tourists can also enjoy kayaking and hiking in the nearby trails. Fort Magsaysay is located in Northwest Luzon central of Manila. Its abundance of tropical fruits, vegetation and crops of rice facilitates military personnel among those are chickens used for cockfighting events and food delivery. The choice of transportation are mainly jeepneys, tricycle, motor vehicles and carabao. It is a gateway for rest and lively entertainment.

Modernization

The Department of National Defense's plans to expand and modernize the Philippine Army, Fort Magsaysay has been designated as the AFP's National Training Center (NTC). The NTC's mission is to upgrade and train at battalion level. In a period of 6 years, more than 72 Army Battalions and 12 Marine Battalions have gone through the NTC's program at Fort Magsaysay. [17]

The fort acquired a fleet of trucks and ambulances worth P98.3 million on May 23, 2016. [12]

Facilities

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ninoy Aquino</span> Filipino Senator and Governor of Tarlac (1932–1983)

Benigno "Ninoy" SimeonAquino Jr., was a Filipino politician who served as a senator of the Philippines (1967–1972) and governor of the province of Tarlac. Aquino was the husband of Corazon Aquino, who became the 11th president of the Philippines after his assassination, and father of Benigno Aquino III, who became the 15th president of the Philippines. Aquino, together with Gerardo Roxas and Jovito Salonga, helped form the leadership of the opposition towards then President Ferdinand Marcos. He was the significant leader who together with the intellectual leader Sen. Jose W. Diokno led the overall opposition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">People Power Revolution</span> Series of popular demonstrations in the Philippines in 1986 that overthrew Ferdinand Marcos

The People Power Revolution, also known as the EDSA Revolution or the February Revolution, was a series of popular demonstrations in the Philippines, mostly in Metro Manila, from February 22 to 25, 1986. There was a sustained campaign of civil resistance against regime violence and electoral fraud. The nonviolent revolution led to the departure of Ferdinand Marcos, the end of his 20-year dictatorship and the restoration of democracy in the Philippines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Operation Enduring Freedom – Philippines</span> Military operation

Operation Enduring Freedom – Philippines (OEF-P) or Operation Freedom Eagle was part of Operation Enduring Freedom and the global War on Terror. The Operation targeted the various Jihadist terror groups operating in the country. By 2009, about 600 U.S. military personnel were advising and assisting the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in the Southern Philippines. In addition, by 2014, the CIA had sent its elite paramilitary officers from their Special Activities Division to hunt down and kill or capture key terrorist leaders. This group had the most success in combating and capturing Al-Qaeda leaders and the leaders of associated groups like Abu Sayyaf.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Irwin National Training Center</span> Census-designated place in California, United States

Fort Irwin National Training Center is a major training area for the United States military in the Mojave Desert in northern San Bernardino County, California. Fort Irwin is at an average elevation of 2,454 feet (748 m). It is located 37 miles (60 km) northeast of Barstow, in the Calico Mountains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palayan</span> Capital of Nueva Ecija, Philippines

Palayan, officially the City of Palayan, is a 5th class component city and capital of the province of Nueva Ecija, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 45,383 people, making it the least populated city in the Philippines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laur, Nueva Ecija</span> Municipality in Nueva Ecija, Philippines

Laur, officially the Municipality of Laur, is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Nueva Ecija in Central Luzon region of Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 38,263 people. Laur is located at the foothills of the Sierra Madre Mountains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ninoy Aquino Stadium</span> Sports venue

The Ninoy Aquino Stadium is an indoor sporting arena located in the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila, Philippines. Originally built in the 1950s, it was renovated and renamed for Philippine senator Benigno S. Aquino Jr. in 1989.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jose W. Diokno</span> Filipino politician (1922-1987)

Jose Wright Diokno, also known as "Ka Pepe", was a Filipino nationalist, lawyer, and statesman. Regarded as the "Father of Human Rights," he served as Senator of the Philippines, Secretary of Justice, founding chair of the Commission on Human Rights, and founder of the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG), the premier group of Filipino human rights lawyers. Diokno is the only person to top both the Philippine Bar Examination and the board exam for Certified Public Accountants (CPA). His career was dedicated to the promotion of human rights, the defense of Philippine sovereignty, and the enactment of pro-Filipino economic legislation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colonel Ernesto Rabina Air Base</span>

Colonel Ernesto Ravina Air Base (CERAB) or Crow Valley Gunnery Range, and formerly the Tarlac Military Testing Ground, was the main bombing range of the United States Armed Forces in the western Pacific, and by the Armed Forces of the Philippines. It is located in Camp O'Donnell in Tarlac, Philippines. The 42-mile facility is located approximately 22 kilometers from Clark Air Base and is primarily used for aerial combat training, which include bombing and strafing practice, as well as ground unit maneuver and live fire exercises.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Bonifacio</span> Headquarters of the Philippine Army

Fort Andres Bonifacio is the site of the national headquarters of the Philippine Army located in Taguig, Philippines. The camp is named after Andres Bonifacio, the revolutionary leader of the Katipunan during the Philippine Revolution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hermogenes Esperon</span> Filipino government official and former Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines

Hermogenes Cendaña Esperon Jr. is a retired Philippine Army general who served as the National Security Adviser in the Cabinet of President Rodrigo Duterte from 2016 to 2022. He was the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines from 2006 to 2008 and Commanding General of the Philippine Army from 2005 to 2006 under President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. After his retirement from the military, he served in Arroyo's administration as the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process and later as the head of the Presidential Management Staff.

José "Pepe" Chichioco Cojuangco Sr., KSS was a Filipino politician who served as Representative of the 1st District of Tarlac in the Philippines from 1934 to 1946. Cojuangco is one of the patriarchs of the Cojuangco clan. He was the father and grandfather of future Philippine presidents Corazon Aquino and Benigno Aquino III, respectively. His other grandchildren include actresses Kris Aquino and Mikee Cojuangco.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rafael Ileto</span> Vice Chief of Staff of Philippine Armed Forces (1920–2003)

Rafael Manio Ileto was a Filipino general who served as the 22nd Secretary of the Department of National Defense (DND) of the Philippines. He also became the Vice Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). He also served as Philippine Ambassador to Turkey, Iran, Cambodia, Thailand, and Laos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Voltaire Gazmin</span>

Voltaire Tuvera Gazmin is a retired Filipino soldier who was the 35th Secretary of the Department of National Defense of the Philippines. Gazmin assumed office on 1 July 2010, after President Benigno S. Aquino III had issued the former's appointment the day before.

The Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) is an agreement between the United States and the Philippines intended to bolster the American–Philippine alliance. The agreement allows the United States to rotate troops into the Philippines for extended stays and allows the United States to build and operate facilities on Philippine bases for both American and Philippine forces. The U.S. is not allowed to establish any permanent military bases. The Philippines have personnel access to American ships and planes. This agreement has been the subject of criticism by some leftist groups in the Philippines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mega Drug Abuse Treatment and Rehabilitation Center</span> Hospital in Nueva Ecija, Philippines

The Mega Drug Abuse Treatment and Rehabilitation Center (Mega DATRC), also known as the Mega Drug Treatment and Rehabilitation Center, is a drug rehabilitation center at Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija, Philippines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martial law under Ferdinand Marcos</span> 1972–1981 period in the Philippines

At 7:15 p.m. on September 23, 1972, President Ferdinand Marcos announced on television that he had placed the Philippines under martial law, stating he had done so in response to the "communist threat" posed by the newly founded Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), and the sectarian "rebellion" of the Muslim Independence Movement (MIM). Opposition figures of the time accused Marcos of exaggerating these threats and using them as an excuse to consolidate power and extend his tenure beyond the two presidential terms allowed by the 1935 constitution. Marcos' signed Proclamation No. 1081 on September 21, 1972, marking the beginning of a fourteen-year period of one-man rule which effectively lasted until Marcos was exiled from the country on February 25, 1986. Proclamation No. 1081 was formally lifted on January 17, 1981, although Marcos retained essentially all of his powers as dictator until he was ousted in February 1986.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eduardo del Rosario</span> Philippine general and politician

Eduardo "Ed" Drueco del Rosario is a Philippine Army veteran and government official who served as the first Secretary of Human Settlements and Urban Development of the Philippines under the Duterte administration, from January 2, 2020 to June 30, 2022. He previously served as Chairperson of the now-defunct Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council which was abolished and replaced by the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development created through Republic Act No. 11201 on February 14, 2019. Del Rosario served 37 years in the Armed Forces of the Philippines, retiring as a major general in 2012. His service included tours as commander of the AFP Southern Luzon Command and of the 2nd Infantry Division.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mega Ligtas COVID Centers</span> Hospital in Various , Philippines

Mega Ligtas COVID Centers, also known as Temporary Treatment and Monitoring Facilities (TTMFs), are temporary non-hospital health facilities or emergency patient care centers established and managed by the Philippine government to accommodate COVID-19 patients at a provincial or regional level as part of its efforts to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines. Some facilities are also serving as quarantine sites for Filipino repatriates from other countries.

Historians estimate that there were about 70,000 individuals incarcerated by the authoritarian regime of Ferdinand Marcos in the period between his 1972 declaration of Martial Law until he was removed from office by the 1986 People Power Revolution. This included students, opposition politicians, journalists, academics, and religious workers, aside from known activists. Those who were captured were referred to as "political detainees," rather than "political prisoners," with the technical definitions of the former being vague enough that the Marcos administration could continue to hold them in detention without having to be charged.

References

  1. Airport information for RPLV [usurped] from DAFIF (effective October 2006)
  2. 1 2 G.R. No. L-27594
  3. Philippine Army General Structure
  4. Ninoy's Letter to his daughter Ballsy
  5. Ninoy's letter to Soc Rodrigo
  6. Groups bewail eviction of 34 families from military reservation
  7. Fort Magsaysay in Romblon?
  8. CA Junks claim over Fort Magsaysay
  9. Top brass aware of NE logging
  10. G.R. No. L-24971 June 20, 1975
  11. Annual Balikatan 2009 exercise at Fort Magsaysay begins
  12. 1 2 Domingo, Ferdie (May 23, 2016). "Fort acquires new equipment". Manila Standard. The Standard. Retrieved May 28, 2016.
  13. Billones, Trishia (1 November 2017). "Mega drug rehab center in N. Ecija a 'mistake': DDB chief". ABS-CBN news. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
  14. "Nueva Ecija drug rehab center turned into 500-room quarantine facility". GMA News Online. GMA News & Public Affairs. 18 July 2020. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  15. "Villar launched construction of new facility inside Fort Magsaysay | Department of Public Works and Highways". www.dpwh.gov.ph. DPWH. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  16. Multi-Purpose Complex planned by the Army, Philippine Daily Inquirer, June 10, 2000
  17. "Philippine Army".
  18. PA Photo Release No 01-068 Archived 2010-05-21 at the Wayback Machine
  19. AFP Transient Facilities and Location Archived 2010-05-23 at the Wayback Machine