Army holds 1st-ever recruitment in Antique

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 10, 2021): Army holds 1st-ever recruitment in Antique (By Annabel Consuelo Petinglay)

ARMY ASPIRANTS. Applicants for the Philippine Army taking their aptitude test at the Sibalom Central Elementary School in the municipality of Sibalom in this undated photo. Antique Provincial Board Member Alfie Jay Niquia said in an interview Tuesday (Aug. 10, 2021) the Army for the first time held recruitment in the province. (Photo courtesy of Annabel Consuelo J. Petinglay)

SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique – Two hundred Antiqueños have trooped to the Sibalom Central School during the first two days of the recruitment activity of the Philippine Army in Sibalom, Antique province.

“There were applicants who came from as far as the island Municipality of Caluya,” said Antique Provincial Board Member Alfie Jay Niquia, who facilitated the first-ever four-day recruitment activity in the province, in an interview on Tuesday.

The recruitment opened on Aug. 8 and will end on Aug. 11.

Most filed their applications online but others took their chance as walk-in applicants.

The Philippine Army will be recruiting about 700 enlisted personnel throughout the country, although he has no idea how many will be from Western Visayas, Niquia said.

He said that in previous years, recruitment was only conducted in Iloilo and Capiz provinces and Antiqueño applicants had difficulty in going to those areas because of the distance and cost of travel.

“I coordinated with the Philippine Army to give chance to aspiring Antiqueños to be able to apply (here),” he said.

The applicants, who were grouped into 50 persons per batch, were interviewed and given written examinations as part of the army recruitment process.

“The result of their examination will be released three months after,” Niquia said.

He added successful examinees will undergo physical and medical checkups and training in a military facility in Tarlac.

“Joining the Philippine Army is an opportunity for the applicants to serve their country,” said Niquia, an army reservist with the rank of lieutenant colonel.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1150000