Wednesday, July 20, 2022

PMA welcomes 350 fresh cadets of Class 2026

Cadets are welcomed into the Philippine Military Academy. PHOTO COURTESY OF PMA


BAGUIO CITY — The Philippine Military Academy (PMA) on July 9 formally welcomed 350 freshmen cadets, 124 of them females, who will compose Class of 2026.
    The new cadets entered a more relaxed military school, which had been under self-imposed lockdown since February 2020 at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.
    The cadets, also called plebes, underwent an hour of physical exercises at the Borromeo Field as part of their traditional reception ceremony after entering Fort del Pilar for the first time.
    The squat thrusts, push-ups, sit-ups, ground rolls and sprints across the stretch of the field helped launch their transition from civilian life to a regimented military behavior, said  Lt. Col. Reynan Afan, a member of the Corps of Professors and the academy’s acting public affairs officer.
    The exercises took place under sunny skies, after days of strong afternoon rains.
    The PMA said 48.29 percent or 169 of the plebes were senior high school students when they took the entrance examination, while the other 181 cadets were enrolled in college when they passed the entrance examination.
    The academy said 120 of the plebes were aged 19 years, 66 aged 18 years and 17 aged 17.
    The remaining cadets were either 20 or 21 years old.
    “The training may be challenging but rest assured it will hone you to become professional military officers imbued with the values of courage, integrity and loyalty,” said acting PMA superintendent Brig. Gen. Julius Tomines when he addressed the cadets.
    He told them: “It takes the whole PMA community to train cadets.” 
    He urged them not to quit.
    “Conquer your challenges one at a time,” the army general said.
    Fort del Pilar reopened its gates to tourists on March 25, but retained a requirement for guests to first clear rapid antigen tests.
    Some of the new cadets’ parents and relatives attended the ceremony, including retired military officials.

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