THE 5ID HAS ALLEVIATED ITS MISSION AND VISION AND BECOME PRODUCTIVE EVERY YEAR ESTABLISHING AN INSURGENCY-FREE AND DEVELOPED COMMUNITY IN ITS AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY: THE CAGAYAN VALLEY, ILOCOS, AND CORDILLERA REGIONS.
THE JOURNEY OF 5ID STARTED ON MAY 11, 1981, WHEN THE THEN 5TH INFANTRY BRIGADE BASED AT CAMP SERVILLANO AQUINO, TARLAC CITY WAS ELEVATED AND BECAME THE 5TH INFANTRY DIVISION PURSUANT TO GENERAL ORDER 365, GENERAL HEADQUARTERS, ARMED FORCES OF THE PHILIPPINES. THIS IS TO ADDRESS THE MENACE OF THE LOCAL COMMUNIST MOVEMENT IN NORTHERN LUZON. ON NOVEMBER 07, 1994, THE DIVISION WAS TRANSFERRED TO UPI, GAMU, ISABELA COVERING A 564.2 HECTARES OF MILITARY RESERVATION AREA WHERE THE BASE WAS NAMED CAMP MELCHOR F DELA CRUZ IN HONOR OF THE DEPUTY COMMANDER OF THE TASK FORCE LAWIN, COL MELCHOR F DELA CRUZ WHO DIED WHILE ON A RECONNAISSANCE MISSION IN BARANGAY UEG, SAN MARIANO, ISABELA SOMETIME IN THE YEAR 1971.
IN THE EARLY ’70S, 5ID TROOPS AGGRESSIVELY FOUGHT AGAINST THE ENEMY IN THE NOTABLE JESSA COMPLEX (JONES, ECHAGUE, SAN AGUSTIN, SAN GUILLERMO, AND ANGADANAN) IN ISABELA. DURING THAT TIME, THE INFAMOUS MV KARAGATAN WHICH TRANSPORTED FIREARMS FROM THE COMMUNIST REPUBLIC OF CHINA WAS INTERCEPTED AT DIGUYO POINT, PALANAN, ISABELA SHORELINE.
WHILE IN THE YEAR 1991-1993, THE TRIUMPH IN THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE LOCAL COMMUNIST WAS FIRST ATTAINED WHEN THE TROOPS SUCCESSFULLY DISMANTLED THE RENOWNED MARAG VALLEY, PACO VALLEY, ZINUNDUNGAN VALLEY, MATARAGAN / BANGILO COMPLEX, MABIGA - PUGUIN - BAMBAN COMPLEX WHERE SHADOW GOVERNMENT WAS FORMED. THE SERIES OF INTENSIFIED OPERATIONS LAUNCHED RESULTED IN THE NEUTRALIZATION OF THE KEY LEADERS AND COMMANDERS OF THE FIRST NATIONAL BATTALION OF THE LOCAL TERRORIST MOVEMENT IN THE AREA.
THE INITIAL SUCCESS OF 5ID IN ENDING LOCAL COMMUNIST ARMED CONFLICT GARNERED AN AWARD AS ITS THREE UNITS: THE 21ST INFANTRY BATTALION, 17TH INFANTRY BATTALION, AND 41ST INFANTRY BATTALION RECEIVED PRESIDENTIAL STREAMER AWARD IN 1992, 1994, AND 1999 RESPECTIVELY. ALSO, THE 14TH INFANTRY BATTALION, 45TH INFANTRY BATTALION, 48TH INFANTRY BATTALION, 50TH INFANTRY BATTALION, 56TH INFANTRY BATTALION, AND 65TH INFANTRY BATTALION WERE PART OF THE SAID ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
TODAY, 5ID DOUBLED ITS EFFORTS IN WINNING INCLUSIVE PEACE, PROGRESS, AND JUSTICE IN ITS AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY THROUGH ITS BRIGADES, BATTALIONS, AND OPERATIONALLY CONTROLLED UNITS DEPLOYED IN PARTS OF THE CAGAYAN VALLEY, ILOCOS, AND CORDILLERA REGIONS.
501ST INFANTRY “VALIANT” BRIGADE IS LOCATED IN BGRY BUGBUGA, STA CRUZ, ILOCOS SUR WITH ITS OPERATIONALLY CONTROLLED UNITS: THE 50TH INFANTRY “DEFENDER” BATTALION IN BRGY REMEDIOS, CERVANTES, ILOCOS SUR; THE 102ND INFANTRY “MANSO” BATTALION SITUATED IN BRGY ALAOA, TINEG, ABRA; AND THE 24TH INFANTRY “WILDCAT” BATTALION OF THE 7TH INFANTRY ‘KAUGNAY” DIVISION IN BRGY TAGODTOD, LAGANGILANG, ABRA.
502ND INFANTRY “LIBERATOR” BRIGADE IS STATIONED IN THE ANNEX OF CAMP MELCHOR F DELA CRUZ IN SOYUNG, ECHAGUE, ISABELA WITH ITS MANEUVER UNITS: THE 17TH INFANTRY “DO OR DIE” BATTALION IN BANGAG, LAL-LO, CAGAYAN, THE 77TH INFANTRY “DON’T DARE” BATTALION IN PIGGATAN, ALCALA, CAGAYAN, THE 86TH INFANTRY “HIGHLANDER” BATTALION AT SITIO BALABAL, UNO, JONES, ISABELA AND THE 95TH INFANTRY “SALAKNIB” BATTALION LOCATED IN SAN MARIANO, ISABELA, TO INCLUDE THE TASK GROUP MAKUSUG IN SITIO BURUBUR, MAGAPIT, LAL-LO, CAGAYAN.
503RD INFANTRY “PEACE AND JUSTICE” BRIGADE IS LOCATED IN CALANAN, TABUK CITY, KALINGA HAVING ITS OPERATIONALLY CONTROLLED UNITS- THE 54TH INFANTRY “MAGILAS” BATTALION IN BAGUINGE, KIANGAN, IFUGAO; THE 98TH INFANTRY “MASINAG” BATTALION IN OLD CAPITOL, BRGY POBLACION, KABUGAO, APAYAO; AND THE 103RD INFANTRY “MABALASIK” BATTALION IN SITIO KAPANIKIAN, CAMALOG, PINUKPUK, KALINGA; TO INCLUDE THE TASK GROUP BAGUIO IN CAMP ALLEN, BAGUIO CITY.
ALSO, THE 99TH INFANTRY “MAKABAYAN” BATTALION of 5ID WAS ACTIVATED ON 23 NOVEMBER 2019 AND IS UNDER THE OPERATIONAL CONTROL OF THE 6TH INFANTRY “KAMPILAN” DIVISION LOCATED IN CENTRAL MINDANAO.
FURTHER, THE THREE DIVISION RECONNAISSANCE COMPANIES OF THE COMMAND NAMELY: THE 51ST DIVISION RECONNAISSANCE COMPANY, THE 52ND DIVISION RECONNAISSANCE COMPANY, AND THE 53RD DIVISION RECONNAISSANCE COMPANY ARE TACTICALLY DEPLOYED IN THE DIFFERENT BRIGADES TO ACHIEVE SPECIFIC OPERATIONAL OBJECTIVES.
OTHER OPERATIONALLY AND TACTICALLY CONTROLLED UNITS OF THE COMMAND ARE ASSIGNED with SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES AND TASKS WITHIN A TACTICAL OPERATION IN SUPPORT OF THE ACCOMPLISHMENT OF THE THE MANUEVER UNITS. THESE INCLUDE THE 5TH MILITARY INTELLIGENCE BATTALION, THE 5TH CIVIL MILITARY OPERATIONS BATTALION, THE TACTICAL OPERATIONS GROUP 1 AND GROUP 2, THE 513TH ENGINEER CONSTRUCTION BATTALION, THE 1ST CAVALRY ‘RAPIDO’ COMPANY (SEPARATE), THE BRAVO BATTERY, THE 5TH FIELD ARTILLERY BATTALION, THE 1ST, 2ND AND 14TH REGIONAL COMMUNITY DEFENSE GROUP, AND THE 9TH K-9 COMPANY.
ON THE OTHER HAND, THE COMBAT SERVICE AND COMBAT SERVICE SUPPORT UNITS OF THE COMMAND PLAY A CRUCIAL ROLE IN SUSTAINING THE OPERATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS OF COMBAT UNITS BY ENSURING THEY HAVE THE ESSENTIAL LOGISTICAL, ADMINISTRATIVE, AND MAINTENANCE SUPPORT TO CARRY OUT THEIR MISSIONS EFFECTIVELY. THESE INCLUDE THE HEADQUARTERS AND HEADQUARTERS SERVICE COMPANY (PROBITIONARY), THE SERVICE SUPPORT BATTALION, THE 5TH INSTALLATION AND MANAGEMENT BATTALION, THE 5TH SIGNAL BATTALION, THE 5TH DIVISION TRAINING SCHOOL, THE 5TH DIVISION CAFGU ADMINISTRATIVE UNIT, THE CAMP MELCHOR F DELA CRUZ STATION HOSPITAL, THE 1365TH DENTAL DETACHMENT, THE 2ND FINANCE SERVICE FIELD OFFICE, THE 2ND FIELD ACCOUNTING UNIT, THE 2ND FIELD PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE, AND THE 1ST FORWARD SERVICE SUPPORT UNIT.
THE STAR DIVISION HAS PROVEN IN MANY WAYS ITS IMPERATIVE PART IN THE GIGANTIC TRANSFORMATION OF THE PHILIPPINE ARMY INTO A MORE CREDIBLE, MORE EFFICIENT, MORE RELIABLE, AND MORE RESPONSIVE ORGANIZATION THAT IS A SOURCE OF NATIONAL PRIDE PARALLEL TO THE ARMY TRANSFORMATION ROADMAP. 5ID HAS BORNE OUT SEVERAL ACHIEVEMENTS BOTH IN ADMINISTRATION AND OPERATION.