PMA officials assures graduating cadets understand the needs of Philippine communities

From the Philippine News Agency (Mar 11): PMA officials assures graduating cadets understand the needs of Philippine communities

The superintendent of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) today assured the 129 graduating cadets fully understand the needs of the communities in this country where they will work as professional soldiers.

The assurance came from Lieutenant General Ireneo Espino who said that the graduating "PUDANG-KALIS" (Puso't Dagat ng Lahing Nagkakasama) Class had good immersion in both rural and urban communities through foster homes and study tours.

Espino said that the class even went to the site where the youngest Filipino General Gregorio del Pilar (to whom the Asia's premier academy was named) died while leading soldiers to defend the escape of General Emilio Aguinaldo, the first president of the Republic of the Philippines who was then pursued by American soldiers.

The site is known as "Tirad Pass" within the eastern towns of Ilocos Sur. Del Pilar died but Aguinaldo was able to reach Isabela Province during his escape but was captured later in a town known as Palanan.

"Through their immersion to the communities, they have realized what would be their duties to the people as professional soldiers," he stressed.

The 129 first class cadets, 105 of them are males and 19 females will graduate and received their direct commission as second lieutenants and ensigns of the Armed Forces of Philippines (AFP), respectively, from President Benigno Simeon Aquino III, Commander-in Chief of the AFP who will served as the guest of honor and speaker.

To illustrate, Espino said, is one of a member of the batch (First Class Cadet Aviles) who is still in a Metro Manila hospital after surviving a mortal wound inflicted by a jeepney robber in Manila whom the courageous PMA cadet tried to subdue some five months ago.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=505936