The quest : a new look for the Filipino soldier

Title

Creator

Sicat, Alejandro C.

Language

English

Source

Philippine Armed Forces Journal Volume IX (No. 6) May 1956

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Fulltext

, .. The Quest: A New Look for the FILIPINO SOLDIER II>!ONG the have occurred lately By Alejandro C. Sicat chan~es that in the Armed Forces of the Philippines are those involving the AFP coat of arms, of ficers' rank insignia, enlisted men's chevrons, Quartermaster insigne, Dental Service insigne, Finance Ser vice insigne, and General Headquarters service patch. These material appendages of the Filipino soldiers are now radically different hom those of the United StatE's A1·med Forces personnel which the A FP had in adoption for many years as a hold out of the period before the independence •of the Philippines. All these reformations seem to presage more to come, each of them ha\·ing been pro. pe1· under the circumstances. During the Korean War, fot· example, and even in the early SEATO confet·ence, the AFP personnel were mistaken for U.S. Armed Forces personnel be cause of the same coat of arms and 1·ank insignia they wore. The changes were evidently designed to make thl' Filipino soldiet· distinctive in a-ppeat·· a.nce and the nation's military estab- Prtuident Mogsorso1 looh oppro~ingl1 "' hshment live up to local history, cui- samples of new AfP coot ol "''"' ond ol ture, traditions and demands of state- lice•• '""~ insignia. """"'9 accoutrement hood, even in their simplest accoutre. reformed to mob Filipino soldier men f. li•einoppeoronce Not Complete 'While these metamorphosts have been effected, the fact remains that the Filipino soldier is still not com pletely distinctive in appeamnce. His uniforms, the standa1·d West Point kh:xki accompanied by the oversea~ cap or Pershing cSJl, and Fatij.!'ue ap pare] with the so-called Van Fleet cap since the Korean \Var, are also the standard uniforms of the Amel'i can serviceman. There is at present no official plan nor indication to change the uniforms o! the Filipino soldier. Some civilians, however, have been heard to comment that since the coat of arms and the rank insignia and chevrons have been refot·med, the unifoz·ms might as well be modified, too, not only to make the Filipino soldier distinct, but also more suave in aope:xz·ance, if not more comfort, able. It is a fact that the present uni forms, like the Enfield and the Ga rand, hllVe been designed for Amel'i can military personnel whose physical sizes make these suits very be coming. Filipinos are racially shorte1· and the effect of the :.mi!01ms does not compliment either their height or their appearance. Psychological Effect Uniforms, imp1·essive uniforms, help make fine soldiers because they iofluenee actions and manners. The whole matter follows the pattern of a person's personal appearance o!ten having a marked effect upon his be. havior. To illustrate, an investiga tion was conducted not long ago in a penitentiary in the U. S. for the pur pose of determining what had in ftuenced the inmates into criminality. It wu found out that many o( them P••••nt unifo•ms of Fj/jpino soldi••· ll>oii on top pl>oto, ond fotigu• on bollom pl>olo, o•• o/so II>• sl<>ndord unif<><ms of Am•ricon soldi•<> Filipino soldi•• is still distin<li,.. ,n•n· afft•ctPd by their facial appearanres.. Natut·e had t:nrlowt.-d them with faces that looked likl' those of fiction-described criminals. SincE• tht•y ](l()ked like criminals, and were ~ susrwcted as such, .:hey might as w1:1l be, ran their explanations. Some of these inmates were t·eleascd, but af ter a time they were back because they wanted to. People outside just hml an enonenus imnressio11 that they were criminals even when they had committed no crimes. They might as well commit. An enterpl'ismg surgeon set to work on their faces by means of plastic surgery, giving them resp<oetable-looking ones. Thf'y wet·e dad to be relcas..·d and the report .. PreoenluniformofAfl'co•olrymonoppro•i molt$ World Wor II Germon uniform said they henceforth led respectable !iws. The theory on clothes, and, for that matter, unifo1·ms, is somewhat similat·. Demeanor of the weare1·s is in fluenced by the appeara"nce of the uniforms. Soldiers arc {'ven often told, "Do not dishonor your uni form." A uniform must have honor if it can be dishonored. The service man must have pl'idc in his uniform. Pride in it can spring up fl'Om, among others, the fact that it is nice. ): What is in an appareL? Much. It World Wor Germon 10/dieu were weH·od· was Shakespeare who said, "The apmirtd for lhtir •morlly·d••igned ui.ilormo pare! oft pz·oclaims the man." AI Gtrmon copti.. shown obo•• opptored though it may be true that "fine fenrupltndent •••n in defeot thers do not always make ;inc birds", PHILIPPINES ARMED FORCES JOURNAL Win!er unifo•m ol fled Chine<e •oldier> moy be di1!in<ti~e ond pro!ec!IYe, b~! 9'~" wearer> the oppeofCIIl~e ol being Jl!obbr ond boggy. Filled wi!h raw cotron, !he IIIIi· form looh li~e o !oilored motlreu it is undeniable that the appearance II who, despite their widely known of what one wears has an influence b1·utality because of their regimented on condud. Befo1·e the wa1·, t.'VCn the way of life, were much admired by lowly clerk wore a coat with tic. Hf' onlooke1·s as far as appeaJ·am::cs were felt proud of his job. There was concerned because of impressive uniour soldiery by merely glancing if our soldiers' uniforms are not impressive. Economics and Propriety Evt.'n a soldier's salute will be mo1·e While considering that it may be snappy when his uniform docs not necessaJ"y to change the design of the appear shabby and boggy. Think of uniforms to make it more becoming the German soldiers of 'Vorld War to the Filipino serviceman, on(' may t also take into account the materials used fot· the uniforms. It is a fact that the West Point khaki is impm·· ,...,. t"ed. Local materials, like Rami~;>, if used in the unifot·m, will even help solve unemployment, de\·elop the Ra. mie industry, and conserve dollars. It is a fact, too, that Ramie is pro duced in both Khaki and white colors. The white is suitable to the Navy. If it can be pt·oduced in gray, it will be fitted for the Air Force. The present uniforms have been evolved by the U.S. Armed Fm·ces with an eye on convenience for the wearer and suitability for combat. It is possible that there is a design more convenient, more fitted for combat, and mot·e impressive fot· the Filipino soldie1· who differs from his Ameri can counterpart not only in physical built but also in temperament. The p,..,..or •.miform of Philippine Conotobulorr ooldifr ,..o, compl•t• with protedi~• legging•. It i1 pouibl• thot th.,• ;, o d•· oign ol uniform mo•e proper thon onr thot th• Filipino sold/., hoo eur hod PreJ•nt loligue uniform loob omorler thoro thio eorlr ,,..,..or lotigue lourolll uniform of the Filipino ooldifr. Agoin it i1 pos· oib/e thot there i1 oomething beHer, loco/, ond mo" original thoro th• prfJent uniformo, uniform of personnel of the Philip pine Army at the outbreak of the Pacific War, consisting of a shortsleeved shirt and a short pants, was distinctive and convenient in hot weather but did not afford sufficient protection for the knees and the arms in combat, unlike the uniform of pre· war Constabulary men which was complete with protective leggings. It is highly fea-sible that, through care. ful study and exploitation, a new set of unif<n·ms to pt·esent a new design more proper for the Filipino soldier and to make use entirely of local materials, will be evolved, to make him not only readily distinguishable from soldiers of other nations, but also more military, dignified, and powerful in appearance as well as more comfortable and properly coated for combat.

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