Smallest ever batch enters PMA

FORT DEL PILAR, Baguio City, Philippines – The Philippine Military Academy (PMA) will formally welcome 104 new cadets of PMA Class 2016 on April 1 in reception and oath-taking rites at the Borromeo Field.

Capt Lynette Flores, PMA spokesperson, said the 86 male and 18 female cadets came from a total of 15,873 applicants who took the nationwide examinations in August 2011.

Only 1,120 made it to the next phase of the selection process for PMA Cadetship, which is the Complete Physical Examination (CPE) conducted at the Armed Forces of the Philippines Medical Center.

They went through medical, psychological and physical examination to determine their fitness to undergo the four-year military training.

After the examinations, the PMA Cadet Procurement Board selected the 104, who are the most qualified candidates to compose PMA Class of 2016, she added.

PMA Class 2016 is considered to be the smallest in the decade.

In 2001, PMA admitted 164 new cadets to compose PMA Class 2005.

Maj. Gen. Nonato Peralta Jr., PMA superintendent, said the primary reason for the selection process is to get only those who are physically and mentally fit for the training in the Philippine Military Academy.

“The quality of the entrants is crucial to their training in PMA, hence, it must be given the weight rather than the quantity or the number of those who will make up a class,” he said.