One-fifth of the newly-accepted cadets at the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) are females, a proof that the once male-dominated field has embraced diversity in its culture.
Three hundred fifty new cadets took oath as members of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Class of 2025 on Monday, June 14, at Fort del Pilar in Baguio City. The plebes are composed of 280 males and 70 females.
Maj. Gen. Ferdinand Cartujano, PMA Superintendent, said the oath taking and reception rites of the "young bloods" signified the start of their four-year education at the country's premier military training institute.
"The reception rites is a simple yet meaningful ceremony to test and gauge physical strength before the formal start of their training," he said.
"Traditionally, this signals the start of regimented military life and gradual transformation from a civilian into a professional and disciplined young military leader," he added.
Cartujano said the would-be fourth year cadets underwent a rigid screening process to become part of the PMA Class of 2025.
A total of 35,213 aspiring cadets applied to take the PMA entrance examination last year but only 19,308 of them qualified and took the tests in 45 testing centers nationwide from Aug. 23 to Oct. 10, 2020.
The said examination was conducted through a clustering by island group in staggered examination dates in major military camps and public gymnasiums.
Out of those who took the exam, 1,226 passed but only 1,076 reported at the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Health Service Command for medical and physical examination. From there, only the 350 cadets made the cut.
Cartujano said "new normal" reception rites were observed due to the threats of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. With their mask on and while observing physical distancing, the cadets performed physical exercises to test their strength and stamina.
The oath-taking and reception rites were closed to the parents and relatives of the cadets and the general public as a precautionary measure amid the health crisis.