167 PMA graduates to join AFP as junior officers

From the Philippine News Agency (Mar 11): 167 PMA graduates to join AFP as junior officers

A total of 167 members of the Philippine Military Academy’s (PMA) Sanggalang ay Lakas at Buhay na Alay sa Kalayaan ng Inang Bayan (PMA-Salaknib) Class of 2017 are set to join the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) as junior officers after their graduation rites on Sunday.

Of the 167 -- 104 male and 63 female cadets -- 90 will join the Philippine Army, including 32 female cadets; while 44 will join the Philippine Navy, 18 of whom are females cadets. The remaining 33 cadets will join the Philippine Air Force.

This year’s class valedictorian is Cadet 1st Class (C1C) Rovi Mairel Valino Martinez from Cabanatuan City. Eight of the class' 10 topnotchers are female cadets, including one from Baguio City’s Kankanaey ethnic group, C1C Eda Glis Buansi Marapao, who, along with Martinez, will join the Navy.

Marapao is also the youngest to graduate in her class, which according to academy records, has the most number of female graduates since the PMA began accepting female cadets in 1997.

The oldest graduate, Rinze Marrion de Monteverde Eviota, entered the academy as a member of Class of 2015.

Six other turn-backs from the Class of 2015 and 23 from the Class of 2016 will be part of PMA Salaknib Class of 2017.

Some 21 graduates came from the National Capital Region; 21 from Calabarzon; 20 from Central Luzon; 13 from the Cordillera region; 15 from the Ilocos region; and one from Eastern Visayas.

Sunday’s graduation rites will be held at the Borromeo Field, Fort Del Pilar here. President Rodrigo Duterte will address the graduates. Vice President Leni Robredo and National Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana will also attend the event.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=970857