The 801st Infantry (Akbay at Gabay) Brigade, Philippine Army was organized on 01 July 1986 pursuant to General Orders Number 113, HPA dated 10 June 1986. The 801st infantry Brigade was originally organized as 1/8 Brigade composed of personnel and equipment sourced from the defunct 3/3 brigade. The brigade Headquarters with its OPCON Units, the 19th Infantry Battalion and 52nd Infantry Battalion were deployed in Northern Samar as its designated Area of Responsibility.

On 08 September 1988, 52nd Infantry Battalion was released from the operational control of the Brigade. But four (4) months later, on 16 September 1988, the 8th Special Forces Company, Special Forces Group was added to the combat units under the Brigade. The 8th Special Forces Company served the brigade for five (5) months and was released to other unit effective 28 April 1989 leaving behind only a Special Forces Team who handled the CAFGU Training in the Brigade Area of Responsibility. To contain the growing threat in Northern Samar, the Brigade combat capability was strengthened with the area situation in the Brigade AOR as manifested by the daring attack of three (3) military detachments in Catarman and San Isidro on 09 October 1990 that necessitated the deployment of additional troops. Thus the return of the 8th Special Forces Company to the Brigade control effective 21 November 1990 and designated to cover northeast portion of Catarman, Mondragon and Silvino Lobos, all of Northern Samar.

On 11 March 1991, the 20th Infantry Battalion was also added to the Brigade's maneuvering unit and was tasked to cover the whole of Balicuatro District of Catarman, Northern Samar.

With the implementation of Campaign Plan "LAMBAT BITAG" from 1992 to 1994, the Brigade with its operational control units, the 19th Infantry Battalion, 20th Infantry Battalion and 8th Special Forces Company intensified its counter insurgency operation in Northern Samar. The implementation of the campaign resulted to the clearing of one hundred twenty (120) barangays from the dissident terrorist influence. The returned to the mainstream of society of sixty-three (63) party members, four hundred eighteen (418) organized mass base and six thousand six hundred fifty seven (6,657) sympathizers. Most remarkable to the Brigade effort was the reduction of its confronted armed group from the strength of seven hundred eighty five (785) to one hundred fifty four (154) including the surrender of ninety-one (91) DTs. Thus, during that period, the two (2) Battalions under OPCON to 801st Infantry Brigade were adjudged as the Best Maneuver Battalion Division wide for two (2) successive years and CENTCOM (formerly known as VISCOM) wide as Best Battalion in terms of Intelligence.

The improved peace and order situation in the brigade AOR saw by Higher Headquarters to realign forces for counter insurgency campaign in other parts of the country. On 16 April 1996, the troop disposition in the brigade AOR was drastically changed with the release of 20th Infantry Battalion to other brigade. This situation compelled the Brigade to thinly disperse 19th Infantry Battalion and 8th Special Forces Company to cover the areas vacated by 20th Infantry Battalion.

On 18 May 1996, the 8th Scout Ranger Company was placed under the operational control of the brigade and act as strike unit while the 8th Special Forces Company was replaced by 3rd Special Forces Company on 18 November 1996 for its scheduled retraining in Fort Magsaysay, Nueva Ecija.

The normalization of peace and order situation in Northern Samar had convinced the higher headquarters to reduce troops in the Samar Province for redeployment in more critical areas in the country.

On 22 April 1997, the 3rd Special Forces Company was released from the Brigade operational control and redeployed in Southern Philippines. This was followed by the pull-out of 8th Scout Ranger Company from AOR on 20 June 1997 for redeployment in Negros Island. With only the 19th Infantry Battalion left under the operational control of the Brigade to cover a wide area of responsibility, higher headquarters saw the need to relinquish portion of its AOR to the jurisdiction of 34th Infantry Battalion under 803rd Infantry Brigade.

The vacuum created due to the pull-out of 20th Infantry Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Company and 8th Scout Ranger Company from the brigade AOR in Northern Samar gave the Local Communist Movement enough space for their usual guerilla activities and boosted their recovery and expansion efforts. Thus, on 16 April 1998, 801st Infantry Brigade was deactivated.

The anticipation to the ballooning threat from the secessionist group in Mindanao in 1999 and 2000 which required the immediate deployment of additional combat units from Luzon and Visayas have tremendously eased the pressure against insurgents in Visayas and subsequently became a threat to peace and stability in the whole region.

The situation in the Visayas required the infusion of additional combat units to contain the growing threats in the region. Hence on 01 May 2000, the 801st Infantry brigade was reactivated with its personnel and equipment sources from 8th Infantry Division and its subordinate units.

On 24 May 2000, barely a few days after its reactivation, the brigade was moved from its temporary station in Camp Lukban, Catbalogan, Samar and was airlifted to Camp Dagohoy, Tagbilaran City in the Province of Bohol as its temporary Command Post (CP). The unit took operational control of the 12th Infantry Battalion, the Special Forces Company and the 12th Scout Ranger Company.

On 12 June 2000, the Brigade Headquarters fully established its home at Brgy Katipunan, Carmen, Bohol when 12th Infantry Battalion was relieved by the 6th Special Forces Battalion. During its ten (10) months stint in its area, the Brigade with its operational control units performed creditably thus earning the trust and confidence of the people and establishing good working relationship with the local government agencies units and line agencies in the area. Through their information support, the unit successfully launched and intensified its offensive operation which resulted to four (4) government initiated engagement with the recovery of eleven (11) high powered firearms, eleven (11) assorted communication equipment and the neutralization of 12 DTs. This successful operation had eventually overturned the Local Communist Movement (LCM) expansion timetable by which if not checked and contained could have caused serious damage to the province democratic government. This tangible accomplishment had earned the Brigade distinct credit and was adjudged as the Best Brigade of the 8th Infantry Division for that period.

On 16 March 2001, the 801st Infantry Brigade was pulled back to Region VIII to provide leadership and to supervise 52nd Infantry Battalion and 34th Infantry Battalion in containing the growing communist threats in Western Samar. In its new Area of Responsibility, the Brigade with its OPCON units have been performing well in its mandated mission as stated in its Campaign Plan. With barely three (3) months and twenty (20) days in its new AOR, the Brigade with its OPCON Units had already set initial gains with a total of four (4) high powered firearms recovered by 52nd infantry Battalion from the enemy through government initiated engagement and intel-operation while a total of eight (8) low powered firearms were also recovered by 34th Infantry battalion from the different political armed groups during its strict implementation of COMELEC Directive in the 2001 National Elections.

On 08 August 2001, Headquarters 8th Infantry Division issued OPLAN 04-01 to redeploy its available forces and fit-in to the present enemy situation in Region VIII. With this development, the 801st Infantry Brigade formally assumed its operational responsibility of the whole of Eastern Samar and the lower half of Western Samar with the 14th Infantry Battalion and 52nd Infantry Battalion as its maneuver units. Upon completion of the realignment of its forces within the new assigned AOR, the Brigade immediately resumed implementing its Campaign Plan in consonance to the H8ID Campaign Plan.

Notwithstanding, the multifarious tasks and the vast area with only two (2) maneuver battalions covering the long stretch of the MSR, the Brigade during the 3rd Quarter of CY 2001 conducted sustained SOT Operations in northern municipalities of Samar area while combat operations in southern municipalities of Eastern and Western Samar areas were intensified coupled with intelligence ad CMO operations. As a result of these operations, the projected expansion of the communist threat in the AOR was significantly contained leaving the influence of insurgents in areas where government troops presence is thinly spread.

At the start of the Calendar Year 2002, the brigade implemented and executed its Campaign Plan 01-02 in consonance with the 8ID Camplaign Plan "END GAME II" to defeat the three (enemy fronts of Eastern Visayas Regional Party Committee (EVRPC) for a period of five (5) years through the conduct of sustained Internal Security Operations (ISO) activities following the win-hold-win campaign strategy and the clear-hold-support operational methodology.

In the meantime while paving the way for the launching of sustained SOT operations starting on the second quarter of 2002, the activities of the Brigade were focused in the conduct of combat operations to deny the enemy of initiating hostile actions against government forces and PNP stations while its maneuver units are organizing and training SOT Operators. During this period, the numerous TRIAD operations that the Brigade initiated initially bore positive result that led to the neutralization of two (2) DTs (Body Count), the capture of another two (2) DTs and the recovery of three (3) low powered firearms.

However, with the ambush of elements of 52IB troops conducting route security along Maharlika Highway, SOT operations were shifted to DT affected barangays along Maharlika Highway to clear and prevent the enemies from initiating hostile actions against government functionaries and the populace plying the MSR.

On 10 June 2002, 14th Infantry Battalion was redeployed in SOUTHCOM AOR leaving only one (1) infantry battalion under the Brigade. This prompted Headquarters 8ID to release 83rd Recon Company to temporarily cover the vacuum vacated by 14th Infantry Battalion but one 01 August 2002, same unit was transferred to Brgy Caticugan, Sta Rita, Samar, as the Unit Strike Force.

To date, the Brigade is stationed at Camp Eugenio Daza, Fatima, Hinabangan, Samar while its operational control units, the 52nd Infantry Battalion is based at Brgy Betaog, Lawaan, Eastern Samar and 82nd Recon Company is based at Brgy Polangi, Taft, Eastern Samar.

While the 83rd Recon Company at Brgy Panayuran, Calbiga, Samar. On 29 June 2002, 14IB was redeployed from its area of operation in Eastern Samar to Southcom AOR. On 28 June, barely one (1) year and twenty days combating the ASG and MILF in Jolo, Sulu, the Battalion was fulled back to its former AOR. Presently, the Battalion Headquarters is temporarily based in Camp Picardo, Dolores, Eastern Samar. On 12 August 2003, Headquarters 8ID issued warning order that upon the arrival of 62IB in samara island, the unit will be placed opcon to 801st Bde and will be co-located temporarily with the Bde Hqs for the purpose of the battalion retraining. Finally , on 18 August 2003, 62nd Infantry Battalion disembarked catbalogan port via Philippine Navy Vessel from Mindanao after nine (9) years of remarkable service to the people in Mindanao. On 26 August 2003, the Battalion retraining was formally opened with Col Napoleon B Malana Inf (GSC) PA as the Guest of Honor and Speaker. The area or responsibility of 62nd Infantry (UNIFIER) Battalion will be the fifteen (15) municipalities of Eastern Samar from Sulat to Lawaan and Marabut of Western Samar to confront the Southern Samar Front 2 upon deployed in Bde AOR.