Young cadets of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) went out of their learning base at Fort Del Pilar in Baguio City recently to immerse themselves and train at Pag-asa Island in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), where tense confrontations between Philippine and Chinese forces occurred in recent years over a territorial conflict.

The cadets underwent the Joint Field Training Exercise (JFTX) Siklab Laya 2025 at the Naval Station Emilion Liwanag at Pag-asa Island in Palawan last week.

The annual JFTX of the Cadet Corps Armed Forces of the Philippines (CCAFP) marks the culmination of different military training programs of the cadets from fourth class (first year) to first class (fourth year) cadets, explained PMA spokesperson Lt. Jesse Nestor B. Saludo.

“The First and Second Class will be tested on their organizational and unit leadership skills based on the Branch of Service they chose (Army, Air Force, and Navy); while the Third and Fourth Class cadets will be tested on their individual military skills,” he said on Monday, April 21.

Saludo said the concept of the training aligns with the AFP’s shift to external defense operations and adoption of the Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept (CADC).

He noted the exercise underscores the jointness of the AFP’s major services during the early stages of the cadets’ military service.

Further, he said the drills were geared towards providing the cadets “a feel of what they will be expecting in their respective fields once they graduate from the Academy.”

The JFTX 2025 will run for two weeks, comprising at-sea and land phases, until April 25. The cadets would be exposed to simulations on joint planning, naval maneuvers, and aerial and at-sea combat.

“PMA ensures that these cadets know the realities of the current Philippine security landscape, making them competent leaders of character and professional warriors for the nation,” Saludo said.