The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) organized an educational tour where 373 youth leaders from all over the country visited young cadets at the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) in Fort del Pilar, Baguio City.

The four-day tour which ended Sunday, Nov. 27, was aimed “to further educate the youth on matters related to national security challenges, Filipino culture, and patriotism,” said Col. Jorry Baclor, chief of AFP public affairs office.

“It was also the chance to inform and encourage aspiring youth leaders to become PMA cadets or AFP reservists,” Baclor added.

The delegates included presidents of different Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) organizations, cadets from the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA), and commanders of Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) who interacted with the PMA cadets.

During their visit to Fort del Pilar, the participants toured various PMA facilities and joined in the “noon mess” or afternoon meal formation with the cadets. They also had the opportunity to learn rifle and pistol marksmanship lessons and competed in obstacle courses along with the cadets.

The highlight of the visit was the traditional parade and review, and silent drill exhibitions of the PMA cadets.

“The educational tour was seen as an opportunity to orient the participants on the role of the PMA in peace, security, and nation-building as well as inspire the youth to join the military service,” Baclor noted.

The PMA is the country’s premier military academy where the future leaders of the AFP are trained. Inside the academy, cadets make the transition from their civilian life to the military lifestyle as they undergo four years of rigorous training.

The AFP teamed up with the National Youth Commission (NYC) to make the educational tour possible and showcase to other youth leaders the world-class military academy.