The Government Arsenal, a civilian line bureau of the Department of National Defense, is a creation of Republic Act no. 1884 which was enacted into law on June 22, 1957. Construction and installation of equipment started soon after the groundbreaking ceremony at its present site here in Lamao, Limay, Bataan on October 12, 1967.
Following the completion and guarantee tests of the manufacturing plants and facilities in 1972, pilot production started in 1973 and by April 1974, the Arsenal had produced its first million rounds of small arms ammunition. Since then, it has continuously supported the small arms ammunition requirements of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and to some extent, the Philippine National Police.
The reliability of the GA’s manufactured small arms ammunition was actually tested during the early stage of its operation in mid- ‘70s when at the height of the AFP’s campaign against the communist New Peoples Army in Central Philippines, the infamous war between the AFP and the Moro separatist group in southern Philippines also broke out.
Providing support on two fronts during that time would have been a nightmare to the government forces had it not for the readily ammunition being manufactured by the government arsenal, which supported the government forces until the enemies of the state finally retreated.
