2nd Infantry Division (Philippines)

Second Infantry Division
Unit Seal of the 2nd Infantry Division
Active	1936 - April 09, 1942 (as 2nd Regular Division, PCA) May 07, 1942 - June 30, 1946 (as 2nd Infantry Division, PCA) March 19, 1976 - Present
Country	Philippines
Branch	Philippine Army
Type	Infantry
Role	Conventional Warfare, Anti-Guerrilla Operations
Size	3 Brigades, 8 Battalions. Total is 7000+ soldiers
Part of	1st Military District under the Philippine Commonwealth Army (1941-1942) 2nd Military Area under the Philippine Commonwealth Army (1942-1946) Under the Philippine Army (Since 1946)
Garrison/HQ	Camp Mateo Capinpin, Tanay, Rizal
Nickname(s)	Jungle Fighter Division
Motto(s)	Professional, Competent, and Capable
Mascot(s)	Kris
Anniversaries	March 19
Engagements	World War II * Philippines Campaign (1941-1942) * Battle of Bataan (1942) * Japanese Occupation of the Philippines (1942-1945) * Philippines Campaign (1944-1945) * Battle of Luzon (1945) Communist Insurgency in the Philippines Anti-guerilla operations against the NPA and local criminal elements
Decorations	Presidential Streamer Award
Commanders
Current commander	MGen. Romeo G. Gan, AFP
Notable commanders	MGen. Guillermo B. Francisco MGen. Delfin N Bangit, AFP MGen. Pedro Cabuoay, AFP MGen. Alexander Yano, AFP MGen. Fernando L. Mesa, AFP MGen. Eduardo D. Del Rosario
Insignia
Armed Forces Occupational Specialty Insignia

The 2nd Infantry Division, Philippine Army, known officially as the Jungle Fighter Division, is the Philippine Army's primary Infantry unit specializing in jungle warfare. Considered the second defended, hard to defeat camp of the Phil. Army.

The 2nd Regular Division, Philippine Commonwealth Army, was activated 6 January 1942, uniting the 4 existing Philippine Constabulary Regiments under one divisional command. Part of these troops were at Camp Murphy (now Camp Emilio Aguinaldo) in Quezon City, Rizal (now Metro Manila) and part at Fort William McKinley (now Fort Andres Bonifacio) in Taguig, Rizal (now Metro Manila). The Armed Forces reorganization acts passed in 1936 led to the decision to militarize Constabulary (Police) officers into organized fighting units. The Constabulary reverted back to their original semi-military ("gendarme") structure in 1938. But the need for more armed Filipinos to aid in resisting the rise and possible threat of Japanese military operations in mid-1941 led to the re-establishment of formal military organization of the Constabulary forces. Therefore, the organization of four regiments finally got underway in the early Fall of 1941, and upon activation, each regiment was inducted into the tables of organization and orders of battle for the United States Army Forces in the Far East (USAFFE). The 1st Philippine Constabulary Regiment dates from 15 Oct 1941; the 2nd Regiment from 17 Nov 1941; the 3rd Regiment from 12 Dec 1941; and the 4th Regiment from 29 Dec 1941.

Most of the 1st Regiment and all of the 2nd had been guarding public utilities and other targets of potential sabotage in the Manila metro area. By 31 Dec 1941, the 3rd and newly-formed 4th Regiments were on Bataan, or were en route. But after the withdrawal of American troops from Manila (to avoid a battle in the city) the 1st and 2nd Regiments also moved to Bataan. Here they were moved under the umbrella of the new 2nd Division (PC) (Philippine Constabulary) after its activation on 6 January 1942. The 2nd Division commander was BGen. (later MGen.) Guillermo B. Francisco.

The 2nd Division was on Bataan from 6 Jan 1942 to the fall of the peninsula on 9 Apr 1942, aiding the Gen. Douglas MacArthur's USAFFE military forces, against the Imperial Japanese troops led by General Masaharu Homma during the Battle of Bataan on 1942.

Throughout the main battle for the Bataan peninsula, from February to April 1942, Constabulary troops and officers fought side by side with other Philippine Commonwealth and American forces of the USAFFE, attacking and defending against Japanese troops. These battles include the Layac Line, Porac-Guagua Line, Abucay-Mauban Line, Battle of Trail 2, the Battle of the Pockets and the Battle of the Points, before the invasion at Mount Samat on 3 Apr 1942. On that date—Good Friday—Mount Samat fell. On 9 April 1942, the starving defending Fil-American forces, including the 2nd Division, surrendered to the Imperial Japanese Army on Bataan. After the enemy forces organized the surrendered troops into one large group, all Filipinos and Americans began the long walk from Mariveles, Bataan to Camp O'Donnell in Capas, Tarlac. This was the start of the Bataan Death March.