Why PMA '29 is unique from the previous batches
The Philippine Military Academy (PMA) has formally received the PMA Class of 2029 which is composed of 340 fresh recruits.
The cadets include 274 males and 66 females, and they serve as the inaugural class under the academy’s new curriculum which incorporates territorial defense and modern warfare domains into its core subjects.
“From here on, you are no longer ordinary citizens. The next step you make, you do so as PMA cadets. On your shoulders, lie the trust and expectations of your families, communities, and most importantly, the Filipino people at large. You now belong to an institution built on honor, courage, and an unshakable commitment to the Filipino people,” PMA Superintendent Vice Admiral Caesar Bernard Valencia said during the reception rites at Fort Del Pilar in Baguio City on Sunday, June 1.
A thorough physical and medical screening process further narrowed down the qualified candidates to a final count of 340 cadets.
“You, the PMA class of 2029, are entering the academy in a rapidly changing world. The level and type of competency as well as fortitude that will be inculcated in you are fine-tuned to the threats we are facing in the 21st century,” Valencia said.
“Cyberattacks, cognitive warfare, asymmetric warfare, climate disasters, and a myriad of human insecurities – this is the landscape where you will have to operate as future military leaders,” the Superintendent added.
The new entrants will have the rank of fourth class cadets in the Cadet Corps Armed Forces of the Philippines (CCAFP) and will undergo three months of basic cadet and military training before they start their academic education.
They are the first class to undergo the newly-approved and enhanced Bachelor of Science in Management major in Security Studies curriculum.
The updated curriculum received approval from Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. two weeks ago.
The new curriculum includes the merging of general education subjects as well as the introduction of new ones focusing on cyber warfare, electronic warfare, artificial intelligence (AI), and drone warfare.
Another change is that cadets aiming to join the Philippine Army will now train alongside those aspiring to become officers in the Philippine Air Force or Philippine Navy. Under the previous curriculum, cadets were trained separately based on their chosen branch of service.
“PMA is an institution that we call a great equalizer. A son of a simple or a great man must prove their worth in entering the PMA. We will be asking for prayers that their leadership journey here in PMA will be guided by the Almighty,” said Major General Ramon P. Flores, commandant of cadets.