ACTIVATION OF ARMY SIGNAL REGIMENT
Upon Activation of the newly organized Army Signal Regiment, 8th Signal Battalion became organic of the Army Signal Regiment, Philippine Army effective 01 April 2011 pursuant to para 8 SO8 Headquarters Army Signal Regiment, Philippine Army dated 04 May 2011. The 8th Signal Battalion under its new mother unit, ASR is spearheaded by LTC ALEJANDRO J PAPA SC (GSC) PA, the 17th Commanding Officer. At present, 8thSignal Battalion has four (4) officers and thirty seven (37) Enlisted Personnel, maintaining a total strength of forty one (41) personnel. Such personnel are thinly assigned to man and maintain the three (3) Signal Companies, namely: the Headquarters Signal Company, Command Signal Company and field Support Signal Company.
ACTIVATION OF SIGNAL COMPANY
The Signal Company was officially activated upon the activation of 8th Infantry Brigade (Separate) Philippine Army pursuant to General Orders Number 123 Headquarters Philippine Army dated 16 June 1986 at Brgy Santol, San Miguel, Leyte. Per directive of COMRUC8 and as per guidance from higher headquarters, the 8th Infantry Brigade (Separate) Philippine Army and post units to include Signal Company was transferred from Santol, San Miguel, Leyte to Camp Lukban, Catbalogan, Samar effective 08 October 1987. Hence, the Headquarters of Signal Company collocated with Headquarters 8th infantry Brigade (Separate) Philippine Army station at Camp Lukban, Catbalogan, Samar.
UPGRADING OF SIGNAL COMPANY
Headquarters of Signal Company, 8th infantry Brigade (Separate) Philippine Army maintained its size as a company for almost two (2) years. It was upgraded as Signal Battalion pursuant to General Orders Number 269 Headquarters 8th Infantry Division, Philippine Army dated 04 August 1988 and effective as of 01 August 1988 under the command of BRIGADIER GENERAL FEDERICO E RUIZ JR AFP.
ORGANIZATION
The organization of the 8th Signal Company, 8th Infantry Brigade (Separate) Philippine Army was based upon the Army re-organizational plan called PAG-BABAGO dated 27 February 1986. But it was not immediately implemented because the Signal Company was organized based upon the Brigade (Separate) TOE pursuant to General Orders Number 124 Headquarters Philippine Army dated 27 May 1986.
DISPOSITION AND STRENGTH OF PERSONNEL
On 16 June 1986, there were only fourteen (14) personnel assigned with the Signal Company, 8th Infantry Brigade (Separate), Philippine Army, one (1) officer, eleven (11) enlisted personnel and two (2) first class trainees. After a year, the personnel fill-up was increased to 24.
By 10 October 1990, MAJOR SIMEON C OSIAS (SC) PA, Commanding Officer of Signal Battalion, 8th Infantry Division, Philippine Army submitted to higher headquarters a proposed manning chart (personnel fill-up of the Signal Battalion of an Infantry Division in consonance with the Army Operating Program for personnel fill-up to Brigade Support Company and based upon on the existing AFP TOE (A-5). As pursuant to para 5, Special Orders Number 63, Headquarter 8th infantry Division, Philippine Army dated 25 April 1991 stated that the personnel of Signal Battalion assigned with the three (3) Tactical Brigades of 8th Infantry Division will be absorbed by the Signal Battalion effective 01 May 1991 and subsequently OPCON to different three (3) Tactical Brigades. This was officially ratified pursuant to Special Orders Number 2 of the Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations, G3, 8th Infantry Division; Philippine Army dated 07 May 1991. In this instance, the Signal Battalion personnel fill-up was increased its strength from forty-seven (47) to eighty-one (81) officers and men. At present, the 8th Signal Battalion of the 8th Infantry Division has five (5) Officers and forty one
(41) Enlisted Personnel, for a total of forty - four (46) personnel. Such personnel are thinly assigned to man and maintain the three (3) Signal Companies, namely, the Headquarters and Headquarters Signal Company, Command Signal Company and Brigade Support Signal Company.
MISSION
To provide communications, electronics and information systems (CEIS) support to three (3) echelons of command, three (3) identical Tactical Brigades, nine (9) Infantry Battalions, three (3) Recon Companies, Organic and OPCON Units.
MAJOR THRUST
To provide reliable, responsive, secure and cost-effective Communications, Electronics and Information Systems (CEIS) of the Command down to its line units.
MEANS OF COMMUNICATION
The 8th Signal Battalion operates and maintains four (4) means of communications. These are the Radio Communications, the Wire Communications,
Cellular and Satellite Phone Communications. Out of the four (4) communication means, the Radio and Wire Communications are the principal communication facilities by which this unit is concentrating since it offers
Communication services from this Division Headquarters to or from the Higher Headquarters and subordinate units. RADIO can also be used for the Radio Data Communication using HARRIS RF 5800H-HF/SSB Man Pack Radios and a CPU in transmitting and receiving radio messages to or from Higher Headquarters, three (3) Infantry Brigades and nine (9) Infantry Battalions and three (3) Recon Companies. Thru this system, communication security can be observed against enemy interception. UHF Linked-REPEATER System. This system, handheld-to-handheld radio communication linkage between this Division Headquarters thru the 8th Signal Battalion, Brigade Headquarters, down to the Battalion and to lowest level will be finally materialized. Said system is composed of GM500 Motorola Radio Repeater and GP68 / GP88 / GP2000 at UHF Band.
SIGNAL CORPS SONG
In the time of war, no matter where you are,
There you'll find the Signal Corps!
When the long lines file, weary mile by mile,
They're the ones who are at the fore.
When there's big news coming and buzzers humming
When Springfields rattle and the big guns roar,
With a flash and flare, over land and air,
Comes the word: That's the Signal Corps.
In time of peace, our duties never cease,
There's drill and work to spare;
In the field we go with our radio,
And we talk to the empty air.
From our short-wave stations, we call the nations,
From Greenland's mountains to the South Sea shore;
Every day we say, we're in the Corps to stay;
"See the world with the Signal Corps."
When the doughboys hike on the hard turnpike,
We'll be there to show the way;
When the big guns roll toward their far-off goal,
We'll follow them day by day;
If you take a notion to cross the ocean,
We're there with radio on sea and shore;
For the sun can't set on our short-wave net!
That's the boast of the Signal Corps!
