Major Sam Jones was appointed its commander, with staff and officers coming from ROSS, commissions from ROTC, and SRC.

He established his headquarters at Hacienda San Jos in La Castillana, Negros Occidental.

[2] Major Jose Culig was appointed as executive officer, and 1st Lieutenant Reyes as adjutant and S1.

Majors Angel Okol, Francisco Gomez and Ernesto S. Mata were given command of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Battalions, respectively.

Canlaon was selected as the site for a defensive stand, preparations were started and engineering works begun to make Canlaon a "Little Bataan", named after the defense of the Bataan peninsula by combined Filipino and American forces.