8th Infantry Division ( Philippines ) The 8th Infantry Division , Philippine Army , known officially as the Storm Trooper Division , is one of the Philippine Army ' s Infantry units in the Visayas , combating Local Communist Units , and terrorists . History . Untold History of the 8th Infantry Division , Philippine Commonwealth Army during World War II . 8th Infantry Division , Philippine Commonwealth Army in Central Visayas During the Japanese Occupation in World War II , the 8th Infantry Division , Philippine Commonwealth Army was founded and military establishment on 1942 to 1946 was active at the general headquarters on the main province of Cebu and Bohol in Central Visayas . The reconstituted by unsurrendered USAFFE officers who organized guerilla units from the remnants of the 8th Military District right after their American and Filipino Officers surrendered to the Japanese after the Battle of Bataan in 1942 . The Division ' s Area of Operations were the Provinces of Cebu and Bohol in Central Visayas and they were tasked by General Douglas MacArthur to combat the Imperial Japanese Army & Imperial Japanese Navy whom they fought using local Philippine Commonwealth military and recognized guerilla tactics starting 1942 until the United States military was returned to Liberate the Philippines in 1944 and aiding the local Filipino troops and guerrillas when more supplies arrived that allowed more company & regimental - sized operations to be conducted against its main nemesis , the IJA 35th Army up to the end of the war . During the Japanese Occupation of Cebu , the guerillas and male civilians , who were organized as the soldiers and military officers of the 8th Infantry Division of the Philippine Commonwealth Army and its subordinate units the several Infantry Regiments , Field Artillery Regiments and others and supported by the PCA 3rd , 82nd , 85th , 86th and 87th Infantry Division and local Cebuano guerrilla resistance was fought the Japanese in the Battle of Guila - Guila in Compostela , Cebu on March 5 , 1943 . This battle , commanded by Major Fabian M . Sanchez , resulted in numerous casualties to the Imperial Japanese Army and best estimates were ten ( 10 ) truckloads of dead Japanese soldiers versus one ( 1 ) Filipino killed . During the Japanese Conflicts and Counter Insurgencies in Central Visayas on 1942 to 1945 , when the outgoing guerillas and male civilians was who were organized and joined as the soldiers and military officers of the 8th Infantry Division of the Philippine Commonwealth Army and its subordinate units the several Infantry Regiments , Field Artillery Regiments and others and supported by the PCA 3rd , 82nd , 85th , 86th and 87th Infantry Division and the Incoming PC 8th Infantry Regiment was operated in the province of Cebu and Bohol and helping by the Cebuano and Boholano resistance attacks the Japanese . After the four year conflicts in Central Visayas , when the local troops of the Commonwealth Army and Constabulary units and the Cebuano and Boholano resistance in Cebu and Bohol was retreat by the Japanese hands before the American troops during the liberation and help Filipino ground troops and Visayan resistance . During the battle for the Liberation of Cebu in 1945 , guerillas and male civilians organized as the soldiers and military officers of the 8th Infantry Division of the Philippine Commonwealth Army and it subordinate units including the several Infantry Regiments , Field Artillery Regiments and many others , supporting for the local troopers of the PCA 3rd , 81st , 82nd , 85th , 86th and 87th Infantry Division , American soldiers of the U . S . Army Americal Division and the Cebuano guerrilla resistance conducted and fought combat operations against the IJA 35th Army under General Sosaku Suzuki and they recaptured and liberated Cebu . They fought in the Northern Cebu Campaign , Southern Cebu Campaign , the Invasion of Liloan , the Invasion of Mandaue , the Battle for Cebu City on March 26 , to April 8 , 1945 , Fall of Pardo and Basak , Battle of Daanbantayan , Battle of Toledo and the Battle of Bantayan . In the island Province of Bohol starting in 1945 , guerillas and male civilians organized as the soldiers and military officers of the 8th Infantry Division of the Philippine Commonwealth Army and its subordinate units including the several Infantry Regiments Field Artillery Regiments and many others , supporting for the local troopers of the PCA 3rd , 81st , 83rd , 85th and 86th Infantry Division , the PC 8th Infantry Regiment , Boholano guerrilla resistance and American soldiers of the U . S . Army Americal Division liberated Bohol from their nemesis , the IJA 35th Army , again , under General Sosaku Suzuki started the Second Battle of Bohol . Untold History of the 8th Infantry Division , Philippine Army during Post - War era . After the Second World War , The 8th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army is a known officially as the Storm Trooper Division was founding establishment on August 1 , 1988 and they stationed and headquarters in Camp General Vicente Lukban , Catbalogan City , Samar . The local government soldiers and officers under the 8th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army was sending the combat operations in the Visayas region and the engagements of the Anti - Communist Operations and helping aided and supported of the Armed Forces of the Philippines , Philippine National Police and the CAFGU militia forces against the communist rebels of the Communist Party of the Philippines - New People ' s Army ( CPP - NPA ) and other local crinimal elements . During the Operation Enduring Freedom in the Philippines under the War on Terrorism and the Islamic Insurgency in Mindanao , Southern Philippines . The local government troops of the Philippine Army 8th Infantry " Storm Trooper " Division was sending the clearing combat operations in Mindanao on Southern Philippines and the engagements of the Anti - Islamic and Counter - Terrorism operations and helping aided and supporting of the Armed Forces of the Philippines , Philippine National Police , the CAFGU militia forces and the U . S . Armed Forces to fought against the Islamic rebels and bandits of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front ( MILF ) , Moro National Liberation Front ( MNLF ) and Abu Sayyaf Group ( ASG ) and other local crinimal elements . Mission . The 8th Infantry ( Storm Trooper ) Division , Philippine Army often conducts Internal Security Operations ( ISO ) in their Area of Responsibility ( AOR ) to dismantle and destroy the remaining guerilla fronts of the Local Communist Movement ( LCM ) in order to attain peace and stability conducive to sustainable development in assisting the Philippine government in its socio - economic development projects ; and assists the Philippine National Police curb criminality in the Visayas Region .