Be all you can be, join the Army!

Every year, the Philippine Army announces its quota for the recruitment of new soldiers to join the uniformed service.

Yearly recruitment is designed to fill in the personnel gaps caused by retirement, attrition and dismissal from the service and it is done by the Army to meet the required number of soldiers or the so-called ‘troop ceiling’.

The recruitment and training of soldiers are delegated to the training institutions of subordinate units. Examinations are given at the Army Recruitment Offices strategically located in the three major islands of the country.

Scheduled examinations are also given in every Infantry Division, other subordinate units and in major cities and regional centers nationwide. The specific dates of these examinations are announced through radio and TV as well as the social media (facebook & twitter).

The major Army Recruitment Offices are in Fort Andres Bonifacio, Metro Manila in Luzon; Camp Lapu-Lapu, Cebu City in the Visayas; and, Camp Evangelista, Patag, Cagayan de Oro City in Mindanao.

On average, each unit has a quota of 50 to 100 candidate soldiers. The female candidate soldiers, on the other hand, shall comprise five percent (5%) of each unit quota allocation. They will undergo training at the Training and Doctrine Command of the Philippine Army in Camp O’Donnell, Capas, Tarlac.

The Army is pleased to welcome anyone who is up to the challenge and will pass the requirements of the course.

The priority candidates in filling up this quota are as follows:

• qualified professionals
• graduate of MS43 and Advance ROTC
• college graduates who completed 72 units in college/tertiary level
• high school graduates but must have technical/vocational skills needed by the AFP

Technical and vocational skills shall be supported by a certification from the employer of at least one (1) year work experience not including on-the-job training.

Applicants must likewise possess the following requirements:

• natural-born Filipino citizen
• at least 18 years old and must not be 27 years old on or before the date of appointment as candidate soldier (no more age waiver shall be issued by the command)
• at least 5’0’’ or 60 inches in height (height waiver shall likewise not be granted)
• unmarried and without child
• of good moral character
• no pending case in any court

Candidates must pass the Philippine Army Aptitude Test Battery (PAATB), the only qualifying test for applicants for enlistment in the PA and is valid for two years. It is composed of three sets: Verbal Reasoning; Mathematical Ability; and Abstract Reasoning.

Recruiting units however, can set other exams to further screen applicants with regard to their skills.

To be qualified in taking the PAATB, the candidate must bring the following documents:

• Original Transcript of Record/Form 137
• Original College Diploma
• Original Birth Certificate (NSO)
• Valid Identification Card
• 2x2 Picture

Once all pre-requisites are satisfied, the candidates shall undergo three months Basic Military Training after which they must proceed to a 3-month Specialization Course. After the training, applicants will be enlisted into the Regular Force, AFP as Private (E-1).

If one is aspiring to be an Officer, s/he must undergo series of examinations and board interviews and must be a Baccalaureate Degree holder.

There are two institutions that train future Army officers: the Philippine Military Academy and the Officer Candidate School of the Training and Doctrine Command of the Philippine Army.

As a member of the Philippine Army, one can get competitive pay and allowances, opportunities for post-graduate studies both local and abroad, insurance and healthcare benefits, billeting and house privileges, job security, leadership and other skills trainings, an opportunity to lead the Army and opportunities for career advancement.

The Philippine Army continues to intensify its recruitment efforts to be responsive of the changing times and comply with the needs of quality command troops.

*** To know more about the Army recruitment process, applicants can inquire through the Personnel Officer (G1) of the Infantry Divisions, or the Army Recruitment Center (PLDT +632845-9555 local 6843).   To see more information, please click this link: Philippine Army Reruitment Website.