ARMY 2040: WORLD-CLASS. MUL Tl-MISSION READY. CROSS-DOMAIN CAPABLE.
HEADQUARTERS
PHILIPPINE ARMY
Fort Andres Bonifacio, Taguig City
1/AB 0 8 JUL 2024
LETTER DIREG.11YE
NUMBER -J.A.4
SUBJECT: Extension of Military Service After Expiration of Term of Enlistment
(ETE) for the Purpose of Compulsory Retirement/ Separation
TO: See Distribution
1. References:
a. Command Guidance;
b. CGPA directive to study the extension of military service of EP;
c. Republic Act Number 11709, entitled: "An Act Strengthening
Professionalism and Promoting the Continuity of Policies and Modernization Initiatives
in the AFP by Prescribing Fixed Terms for Key Officers thereof, Increasing Mandatory
Retirement Age of General/Flag Officer, Providing for a more Effective Attrition
System, and Providing Funds therefor" as amended by RA Nr 11939 dated 25 July
2022, entitled: "An Act further Strengthening Professionalism and promoting the
Continuity of Policies and Modernization Initiatives in the Armed Forces of the
Philippines and Amending for this Purpose Republic Act no 11709";
d. Department Circular Number 05 dated 12 February 2024 with
subject: Implementing Rules and Regulations of Republic Act no 11709, as Amended
by Republic Act no 11939;
e. Circular Nr 3 ONO, GHQ, AFP dated 26 January 2021 with
subject: AFP Enlistment and Reenlistment in the AFP;
f. HPA Letter Directive dated 31 August 2017 with subject:
Enlistment and Reenlistment in the Philippine Army;
g. HPA Standard Operating Procedure Number 4 dated 05 October
2015 with subject: Extension of Active Military Service After 55th Year of Age and non-
entitlement to Pay and Allowances after Compulsory Retirement or Separation;
h. Presidential Decree Number 1638, entitled: Establishing a New
System of Retirement and Separation for Military Personnel of the AFP and for Other
Purposes as amended; and
i. Subject-To-Letter from Director, APMC with subject: Study on the
Extension of Military Service for Enlisted Personnel.
2. Background:
In the past two (2) years, the Philippine Army (PA) has experienced a
surge in applications for military service extensions from Enlisted Personnel (EP), all
of whom were endorsed by their commanding officers. This influx has raised concerns
regarding the adequacy of the extension criteria outlined in existing policies, as it has
led to ambiguity surrounding the selection process and the qualifications of the
applicants. Consequently, this situation has resulted in an overabundance of
HONOR. PATRIOTISM. DUTY.
ARMY 2040: WORLD-CLASS. MUL Tl-MISSION READY. CROSS-DOMAIN CAPABLE.
personnel of certain ranks within units, imposed constraints on promotion quotas, and
hindered the career advancement opportunities for junior EP.
3. Purpose:
This Letter Directive outlines the policies and procedures for determining
who among those EP applying for extension of military service for the purpose of
compulsory retirement/separation should or not to be extended.
4. Scope:
This Letter Directive applies to all PA EP in active duty who are applying
for extension of military service for the purpose of retirement/separation.
5. Definition of Terms:
a. Compulsorily retired - refers to the mandatory retirement of
personnel from the military service or position, typically due to reaching the specific
age of 57 or fulfilling 30 years of satisfactory active service, whichever comes later, as
stipulated by law or organizational policies;
b. Satisfactory active service - refers to the continuous and
uninterrupted fulfillment of duties and responsibilities in a manner that meets or
exceeds the standards set in the aspects of following orders, adhering to regulations,
maintaining physical fitness, completing required training and assignments,
demonstrating professionalism, and contributing effectively to the mission and goals
PA.
c. Applicant - EP who shall be compulsorily retired upon reaching the
age of 57 years old or upon accumulation of at least 30 years of satisfactory active
duty, whichever comes later that will occur after the expiration of term of enlistment
with a maximum period of 18 months;
d. Enlisted Personnel - refers to any person regularly enlisted in the
Armed Forces of the Philippines or an enlisted reservist who has been duly accepted
and sworn in for trainee instruction, pursuant to the provisions of the National Defense
Act;
e. Expiration of Term of Enlistment (ETE) - a specific date after
rendering the initial three (3) years term of enlistment and reenlistment;
f. Extensive experience - indicates a substantial amount of time (at
least 18 months) spent actively engaging in and acquiring knowledge, skills, and
understanding in a particular area or position, leading to a high level of proficiency and
competence such as those occupying leadership positions but not limited to Sergeant
Majors, First Sergeants of companies except for Headquarters and Headquarters
Company and Headquarters Service Companies, Platoon Sergeants of non-combat
units, Chief Clerks and others as determined and justified by their unit commanders;
g. Personnel Management Fill-up Table - an official and
comprehensive document used in human resources management to track staffing
needs, including available positions, required ranks and qualifications, and the status
of filling those positions. It helps human resource managers and professionals manage
the recruitment, placement, promotion, and attrition process efficiently by providing a
clear overview of staffing requirements and progress;
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ARMY 2040: WORLD-CLASS. MUL Tl-MISSION READY. CROSS-DOMAIN CAPABLE.
h. Special skills - refer to unique abilities, knowledge, or expertise
that are not commonly found and are valuable in a specific context or field such as but
not limited to Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit Active Auxiliary cadre,
marksmanship, combat medic skills, explosive ordnance disposal, cybersecurity,
language proficiency, intelligence analysis, combat engineering, close quarter combat,
airborne operations, special reconnaissance, counter insurgency operations, tactical
driving, psychological operations, interrogation and interrogation resistance, combat
search and rescue, nuclear, biological and chemical defense, underwater demolition,
field artillery operations, sniper operations, urban operations, hostage rescue,
electronic warfare, martial arts, and others as determined and justified by their unit
commanders; and
i. Table of Organization - a hierarchical chart or document that
outlines the structure of an organization or military unit, detailing the positions, roles,
and responsibilities of personnel within that organization or unit. It typically includes
information such as the chain of command, job titles, reporting relationships, and the
allocation of resources among different units or echelon of command.
6. Policies:
a. EP shall be compulsorily retired upon reaching the age of 57
years or upon accumulation of at least 30 years of satisfactory active service,
whichever comes later;
b. Extension of military service after ETE for the purpose of
retirement/separation shall be by application to be recommended by their PA Majors
Unit (PAMU)/General Headquarters, Unified Command and AFP-Wide Support and
Separate Units (GUA) Commanders and subject to the approval of the Commanding
General, PA (CGPA). The extension is not a matter of right for the enlisted individual,
neither is it a matter of personal consideration. The interest of the military service shall
be given primary consideration;
c. EP shall be automatically discharged and ceased to be in the active
service upon ETE, unless sooner discharged or military service is extended for the
purpose of compulsory retirement/separation, provided that the maximum period of
extension is 18 months and endorsed by the PAMU/GUA Commander upon
application of the EP not later than one (1) year before date of compulsory retirement
with the necessary documents as follows:
1) Duly Accomplished Personal Action Form;
2) Statement of Service (SOS) from Major Service Adjutant;
3) Last Reenlistment Order;
4) Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) Birth Certificate;
5) Latest Promotion Order; and
6) PA Unified Clearance.
d. The applicant must meet all the following qualifications to be
considered by the PAMU/GUA Commanders in recommending the extension of ETE:
1) Applicant should be occupying position commensurate or
higher than his/her present rank based on the current Table of Organization (TO);
2) Applicant should have rendered satisfactory active service;
and
3) Applicant must possess special skills and/or extensive
experience.
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ARMY 2040: WORLD-CLASS. MUL Tl-MISSION READY. CROSS-DOMAIN CAPABLE.
e. To ensure that the ideal rank structure of the PA is achieved and
maintained, granting of extension of ETE will uniformly be based on the rank structure
requirement of the PAMUs based on the Personnel Management Fill-up Table
(PMFT) requirements set forth by Headquarters Philippine Army (HPA).
f. The approving authority of all extension of ETE is the CGPA.
7. Procedures:
a. Application
1) Application and submission of documentary requirements
for extension of military service for the purpose of compulsory retirement shall be done
at the earliest one (1) year prior to the expiration of ETE. This shall be endorsed
through channel by concerned Unit Commanders/Office Chiefs for deliberation of
respective Commander PAMU/GUA (Attn: G1s) and for further review and
recommendation for approval of CGPA (Attn: G1, PA); and
2) Applicants for extension of military service must submit the
following mandatory documentary requirements:
a) Duly Accomplished Personal Action Form;
b) SOS from Major Service Adjutant;
c) Last Reenlistment Order;
d) PSA Birth Certificate;
e) Latest Promotion Order; and
f) PA Unified Clearance.
b. Deliberation
1) Within one (1) week of receipt of applications from unit
commanders/office chiefs, the PAMU/GUA G1s shall promptly review and assess the
qualifications of applicants requesting an extension of military service for compulsory
retirement/separation; and
2) PAMU/GUA 1s shall communicate within one (1) week
their request for review and recommendation to APMC all qualified applicants
requesting an extension of military service for compulsory retirement/separation.
c. Review and Recommendation
1) Army Personnel Management Center (APMC) shall
review the recommendation for the extension of military service of applicants from
various PAMUs/GUAs. They shall also check the completeness and authenticity of
documentary requirements of all applicants;
2) APMC will carefully review the PA's recommended rank
structure based on PAMU/GUA guidelines before recommending the extension of
military service of applicants for approval by the CGPA; and
3) APMC shall forward the request for extension of military
service for compulsory retirement by the age of 57 of all qualified applicants with
complete attachments to CGPA (Attn: OG1, PA) after one (1) week of receipt of request
from PAMUs/GUAs.
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ARMY 2040: WORLD-CLASS. MUL Tl-MISSION READY. CROSS-DOMAIN CAPABLE.
d. Approval
1) OG1, PA shall forward the request for extension of military
service for compulsory retirement/ separation of all qualified applicants with complete
attachments to CGPA within one (1) week of receipt of request from APMC;
2) Office of the Army Adjutant (OAA) shall inform concerned
offices/ PAMU/GUA on the approval of extension of military service of applicants by
the CGPA;
3) APMC to update database of personnel on the extension
of military service for the purpose of compulsory retirement/ separation; and
4) OAA shall publish and distribute the orders of extension of
military service of applicants to concerned PAMU/GUA and concerned individuals.
8. Responsibilities:
a. Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff for Personnel, G1, PA
(OG1, PA)
1) Office Primary Responsible for the implementation and
dissemination of this Directive;
2) Recommend to the CGPA applicants qualified for extension
of military service after ETE for the purpose of compulsory retirement;
3) Direct APMC to update database of personnel with
approved extension of military service for the purpose of compulsory retirement/
separation; and
4) Direct OAA to publish and distribute orders of extension of
military service to PAMUs/GUAs and concerned individuals.
b. PAMU
1) Ensure that personnel are informed of the latest policies,
directives, and procedures relating to extension of military service after ETE for the
purpose of compulsory retirement/separation;
2) Shall conduct initial deliberation of applicants for the
extension of military service for the purpose of compulsory retirement/separation; and
3) Shall submit a request with complete documentary
requirements to APMC for further review and deliberation all qualified applicants for
extension of military service for the purpose of compulsory retirement/separation.
c. APMC
1) Create a database for monitoring of all EP who will be
applicants for extension of military service after ETE for the purpose of compulsory
retirement/separation;
2) Conduct review and deliberation of the qualifications of
applicants for extension of military service as recommended from PAMUs/GUAs;
3) Check validity and authenticity of documentary
requirements of all applicants requesting for extension of military service;
4) Before recommending the extension of military service for
approval by the CGPA, carefully evaluate the PA's proposed rank structure per
PAMU/GUA; and
5) Recommend to OG1, PA Officers qualified applicants for
extension of military service after ETE for the purpose of compulsory
retirement/separation.
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ARMY 2040: WORLD-CLASS. MUL Tl-MISSION READY. CROSS-DOMAIN CAPABLE.
d. Office of the Army Adjutant (OAA)
1) Publish the policy upon approval.
2) Publish and distribute orders for extension of military
service after ETE for the purpose compulsory retirement/ separation to PAMUs/GUAs
and concerned individuals.
9. Rescission:
All previous policies, issuances, and regulation inconsistent with or
contrary to this letter directive shall be repealed or be amended accordingly.
10. Effectivity:
This Letter Directive shall take effect upon publication.
BY COMMAND OF LIEUTENANT GENERAL GALIDO:
TRANE RO
C (ART) PA
ant
Annexes:
A - Extension of Military Service Process Outline
B - Responsibilities for the Extension of Military Service Process
C - Extension of Military Service Process Timeline
DISTRIBUTION:
OG1, PA
APMC
OAA
G1s, PAMU
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