■ Ofelia C. Empian
In a bid to prepare cadets to modern challenges, President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. has ordered the Department of National Defense and the Armed Forces of the Philippines to review the curriculum of the Philippine Military Academy.
During the graduation rites of the PMA Bagong Sinag Class of 2024 on May 18, Marcos said he ordered for the revamp in the curriculum to ensure the cadets are equipped with the 21st century skills necessary to counter conventional and asymmetric threats.
“In this time of great complexity, PMA has to step up and take on the task of ensuring the next generation of leaders of our country is ready for the emerging and future challenges,” Marcos said.
As the commander-in-chief of the AFP, Marcos said in the digital battlefield, pure vision for truth, integrity, and patriotism are necessary tools to combat attempts to disinformation and infiltration.
Since the PMA’s establishment in 1935, its curriculum underwent review 10 times to be in tune with the changing times, according to the Philippine News Agency.
Marcos reiterated the academy has long been a reliable institution in nation building.
He assured his administration will continue to support the moral uplifting of the members of the AFP, including the PMA, which is the premier military institution in Asia.
The President urged the new graduates in the national effort to be ready to keep the Filipino people safe and secure the territory and the democracy’s stability.
He said the country faces a blatant disregard of internationally accepted principles and deployment of mass destruction by parties who drive a wedge among the Filipino citizens.
He asked the newly commissioned military officers to help in the effort to defend the territory while always observing the law and the responsibility as law abiding citizens.
As future leaders, he also urged the young soldiers to go against the evolving threat of people that corrode social and political thrusts.
Among the 278 members of the Bagong Sinag Class of 2024, 143 will serve in the Army, 62 in the Air Force, and 73 in the Navy.
The recent graduates are the last batch of cadets of PMA who graduated with a degree in Bachelor of Science in National Security Management (BSNSM).
The next batch of graduates will be graduates of Bachelor of Science in Management majoring in Security Studies.