Bicolano tops PMA graduates

FORT DEL PILAR,  Baguio City, Philippines – With the abject poverty in his home province of Daraga, Albay as his inspiration, Cadet First Class Jheorge Millena Llona made it to the top of his class in the country’s premier military institution.

Llona will lead graduates of the 223-member “Siklab Diwa” Philippine Military Academy Class of 2014 on Sunday.

Sixth in a brood of seven, Llona said his achievement will be a gift to his parents

“I dedicate this to my family,” said the 22-year soft-spoken Bicolano, who will be an officer of the Philippine Army. â€œMy parents guided me and gave me the inspiration,” he said.

Llona acknowledged his family’s lack of any fortune, aside from a piece of land that his father Nelson tills in Maopi, Daraga town, prompted him to move on to his dream of becoming a soldier or a pilot. 

He said his older brother, now in the Philippine National Police in Daraga, was the one who prodded him to enter the PMA.

Llona said his brother tried in 2004 but failed to make it.

“I thank also my brother who introduced me to the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC), where I began to love soldiering and adventure,” he said.

On Sunday, aside from delivering the valedictory address, Llano will receive the Presidential Saber from President Aquino. He will also receive the Philippine Air Force Saber, Academic Group Award, Management Plaque, JUSMAG Award, General Antonio Luna Award and Australian Defense Best Overall Performance Award.

Another female landed in the top 10 of the PMA graduating class – Liza Jumawid Dango of Bulua, Cagayan de Oro City. 

Dango replaced the controversial cadet Aldrin Cudia as class salutatorian.

Outspoken and straightforward, Dango said she would continue her passion of teaching even as a 2nd lieutenant in the Philippine Army.

“I could still teach even during operations,” she said.

Dango leads the 19 female cadets graduating on Sunday. â€œWe still hope more and more women (will) join the PMA,” she said.

Dango gets the Vice Presidential Saber, Philippine Army Saber, Humanities Plaque and Australian Defense Best Overall Performance Award.

Graduating third is Kalinga Billy Casibi Codiam.

The 25-year-old cadet boasted he is the first PMAyer in his native Lubo-Pangol tribe in Tanudan town in the Cordillera region.

Codiam leads other Cordillerans in the graduating class, including 21-year-old Alvin Kantala-Balangcod who hails from Kapangan town in Benguet. 

Codiam gets the Secretary of National Defense Saber, Social Sciences Plaque and Spanish Armed Forces Saber. Kantala gets the Philippine Army Professional Courses Plaque.

Fourth placer Leo Mac Callueng Tuliao, 21, of Cagayan will be joining the Philippine Air Force. He also hails from a peasant family in Malibagbag, Peñablanca, Cagayan. Tuliao was already a freshman taking electronics and communications engineering when he saw the opportunity to enter the PMA.

Fifth placer is Noel de Venecia Raguindin, 24, from Dagupan City, Pangasinan. He will be joining the Philippine Navy. He was already in third year of civil engineering studies when he joined the PMA.

A consistent academic achiever in high school, 

Raguindin gets the Philippine Navy Saber and Tactics Group Award. He also came from a lowly family, his father being still unemployed and his mother who has gone abroad to work.

Another Cagayano, Carlito Ajarillo Agustin from Carig Norte in Tuguegarao City is sixth. 

Seventh place Frank Anzale, 25, is joining the Philippine Army. She is from Batbangon town in Leyte.   

Also an academic achiever in high school despite her family’s abject poverty – her father and mother both jobless – Anzale gets the Natural Sciences award. 

Eighth is King Kristian Marca Argoso, 22, joining the Air Force, from Gumaca, Quezon. 

Already third year in BS Electronics and Communications engineering four years ago, Argoso chose to enter PMA to “become a soldier and a servant of the people.”

Ninth is Greg Philip Lesmoral Monsalud, 24, also from Cagayan de Oro City, who first tried his mettle in the IT field back home but is finally becoming a Philippine Navy Ensign.

He gets the Navy Professional Courses plaque.

The Siklab-Diwa class, originally more than 300, was trimmed down to 223 with 118 going to the Army, 57 to the Navy, 48 to the Air Force. Most of the 19 females in the class are going to the Army, six to the Navy and four to the Air Force.

Amid the issue on Cudia, PMA superintendent Major Gen. Oscar Lopez, said the PMA’s honor system lives on. 

“We stand by it all the way,” said topnotcher Llona, who lamented the incident but said the tradition of honor in the PMA should be maintained.