Fort Magsaysay Fort Ramon Magsaysay , also known as Fort Magsaysay or Fort Magsaysay Military Reservation ( FMMR ) , or Fort Mag , is the largest Military Reservation in the Philippines , and is one of the key training areas of the Philippine Army . Fort Magsaysay is located in Palayan City , Nueva Ecija . History . On Dec 10 , 1955 , President Ramon Magsaysay , through Proclamation 237 created the 73 , 000 - hectare base centered in Laur , Palayan . The reservation covers portions of the provinces of Nueva Ecija , Bulacan , and Aurora . The reservation is to be used for military training and live fire exercises . In its infancy Fort Magsaysay hosted the Army Training Command ( ATC ) . The ATC provided basic training for enlisted personnel and officers and advanced training in some specialties such as infantry and artillery . As one of the main training grounds of the Philippine Army , Fort Magsaysay hosted the Training & Doctrine Command ( TRADOC ) a couple of times in its history . Currently , TRADOC is located in Camp O ' Donnell , but majority of the field exercises are conducted in Fort Magsaysay . During Martial Law , Ninoy Aquino and other members of the opposition were incarcerated in Fort Magsaysay . In 1991 , Mt . Pinatubo ' s eruption has burdened the Philippine government to relocate some of the residents of the volcano . Fort Magsaysay was chosen as one of the relocation sites . Almost two decades later , the Philippine Army remains at conflict with tenant farmers , as the latter have been ordered evicted from the military reservation . Fort Magsaysay ' s vast tracts of land has time and again attracted a number of claimants - without escaping controversy . In some occasions , illegal loggers have found their way into the reservation . On 2012 September 21 , President Benigno S . Aquino III led the observance of the 40th anniversary by opening the Aquino - Diokno Memorial , the Armed Forces of the Philippines ( AFP ) Center for Human Rights Dialogue inside Fort Magsaysay and the museum - replica of the 1973 detention facility of Ninoy ( Codenamed : Alpha ) and Diokno ( Codenamed : Delta ) . At present , Fort Magsaysay , along with the Crow Valley Range Complex in Pampanga , provides the Armed Forces of the Philippines and allied nations ample training grounds in modern jungle warfare in large unit formation . The RP - US 2009 BALIKATAN exercises for one was commenced at Fort Magsaysay . Description . Fort Magsaysay can be reached through the Bangad - Fort Magsaysay Road or through the Sta . Rosa - Fort Magsasay Road . The original 73 , 000 hectares military reservation has been reduced to 35 , 000 hectares after seven presidential proclamations . Despite this reduction , the sprawling base reaches all the way to the Pacific Ocean , over the Siera Madre Mountains , with 12 kilometers of coastline . The Department of Defense ' s plans to expand and modernize the Philippine Army , Fort Magsaysay has been designated as the AFP ' s National Training Center ( NTC ) . The NTC ' s mission is to upgrade and train at battalion level . In a period of 6 years , more than 72 Army Battalions and 12 Marine Battalions have gone through the NTC ' s program at Fort Magsaysay . Fort Magsaysay is also the only Philippine Army base that boast its own runway , apron , aircraft maintenance , and air control facilities . The Philippine Army operates Cessna CE172 Skyhawk and CE421 from Fort Magsaysay . Fort Magsaysay also has its own Rest & Recreation facility called Pahingahan Complex . ( " Pahingahan " is the Filipino word for " a place of rest . " ) The R & R facility is located on the shores of a man - made lake in the base . Soldiers and tourists can also enjoy kayaking and hiking in the nearby trails . Current facilities on base are : Current units garrisoned in Fort Magsaysay :