PMA elevates military education to global standards
The Philippine Military Academy (PMA) announced Tuesday, June 10, that it has been officially included as an associate member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) University Network – Quality Assurance (AUN-QA), marking a milestone in its transformation toward world-class military education and academic excellence.
The (AUN-QA) Network was created to “realize the mission of harmonizing educational standards and seeking continuous improvement of the academic quality of universities in the ASEAN region.”
“PMA needs to align our education and training programs, as well as operational procedures, with global best practices, enhancing our graduates’ effectiveness and professionalism,” PMA Superintendent, Vice Admiral Caesar Bernard Valencia said.
“This approach also integrates modern techniques and technologies, maintaining the Academy’s competitive edge in the evolving military landscape through internationalization of curriculum, mobility of cadets and faculty, and strategic partnerships with allied military academies,” he added.
Coincidentally, the feat came three weeks after Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. approved the updated Bachelor of Science in Management major in Security Studies curriculum of the PMA, which will be used for the first time by the PMA Class of 2029.
The PMA said it began laying the foundation for the recognition in 2023 by sending academic personnel to participate in AUN-QA training workshops.
It noted that such engagements built capacity and internal systems to prepare the institution for integration into the regional academic quality network.
Then early this year, the PMA said it officially applied for associate membership and has now been accepted, affirming its “commitment to international quality assurance standards in higher education.” By April 30, 2025, the associate membership has been approved.
The PMA said it was the first and only military academy in the ASEAN region to be granted associate membership under the AUN-QA.
It joins a growing community of AUN-QA member institutions across Southeast Asia including 71 from the Philippines (with PMA), two from Brunei Darussalam, 12 from Cambodia, 36 from Indonesia, seven from Malaysia, 12 from Myanmar, three from Singapore, 20 from Thailand, one from Laos, and 61 from Vietnam.
As an associate member, the PMA has formally been recognized as “committed to upholding the principles of quality assurance in higher education within ASEAN.”
The PMA said that while associate members are not yet fully accredited or externally assessed, they are eligible to participate in AUN-QA training, capacity-building initiatives, and regional networking.
It said full membership requires completion of institutional or program assessments, which the academy is currently preparing for as part of its quality roadmap.