Pagcor to help fund PMA upgrade

MANILA, Philippines — State gaming operator and regulator Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) will provide full funding support to the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) in its infrastructure buildup and facilities upgrade.

Alejandro Tengco, PAGCOR chairman and CEO, said the agency would fund the construction of a new candidate control liaison office, modern warfare laboratory and additional facilities at the PMA Sports Complex as well as provide patient transport vehicles.

Tengco made the pledge during the PMA alumni homecoming ceremony over the weekend.

The candidate control liaison office at the Armed Forces of the Philippines Medical Center in Quezon City is where successful PMA applicants undergo a complete physical exam before entering the academy in Baguio City.

“We were informed that this office is now in a serious state of deterioration and is in dire need of renovation,” Tengco said. “So today, we are affirming our commitment to help fund the construction of the new PMA candidate control liaison office even if the PMA management has not yet formally requested it.”

Vice Admiral Caesar Bernard Valencia, PMA superintendent, said the grants from PAGCOR will be of big help to the academy.

“We are ecstatic that PMA will be continuing its collaboration with PAGCOR. As Chairman Tengco said, PMA and PAGCOR share a strong history of collaboration and we are happy to continue that partnership,” Valencia said.

Tengco also pledged funding for a new warfare laboratory that will help integrate modern combat strategies and cutting-edge technologies into the academy’s curriculum.

In addition, he promised to finance the construction of a martial arts studio and an Olympic-size heated swimming pool as essential enhancements to the PMA Sports Complex.