Marcos orders DND, AFP to review PMA curriculum

Stressing the need to equip leaders with the skills to battle emerging threats, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. on Saturday instructed the Department of National Defense (DND) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to review the curriculum of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA).

The new battlegrounds, the President said, include confronting disinformation and infiltration in cyberspace.

"The PMA has long been a reliable institution in nation-building. However, in this time of great complexity, the PMA needs to step up and take on the task of ensuring that the next generation of leaders in the country are ready for the emerging and future challenges," the President said during the graduation ceremony of the PMA "Bagong Sinag" Class of 2024 at Fort General Gregorio Del Pilar in Baguio City.

"So, I direct the DND and AFP leadership to review the PMA curriculum to ensure that our cadets will be equipped with the 21st century skills necessary to counter conventional and asymmetric threats. In the digital battlefield, a clear vision for truth, integrity, and patriotism, are necessary tools to combat attempts at disinformation and infiltration," Marcos said.

In the same speech, Marcos called on the new graduates to sacrifice for the country in the face of threats to national territory and those who seek to divide the Filipino people.

The President and his senior officials have recently criticized Beijing's narratives regarding the West Philippine Sea issue, including purported agreements to manage the situation in Ayungin Shoal or the Second Thomas Shoal.

According to the Presidential Communications Office (PCO), the PMA curriculum has been revised 10 times since its establishment in 1935. Such reviews have become more frequent since 2021.

The PCO said the curriculum reviews were conducted in response to the growing demands of security and environment and technical advancements.

The current curriculum of the PMA, the PCO said, was designed to enhance cadet's competence in performing its roles in the Armed Forces and ensure that its baccalaureate degree program is at par with international qualifications.

In ordering the review, Marcos cited "evolving threats that harm our people and corrode social and political trust."

"We will be adept, we will be flexible, and we will be ready in repelling such things," the President said.

A total of 278 cadets graduated from the PMA this year. Of this number, 224 are men and 54 are females.

The brightest graduates of this year's class, however, are dominated by women, landing seven of the top 10 spots.

Cadet 1st Class Jeneth Elumba, this year's valedictorian, is the seventh female to top a PMA graduating class.

"Bagong Sinag" stands for "Bagong Henerasyong Gagampanan ang Tama: Serbisyo, Integridad at Nasyonalismo ang Aming Gabay," according to PMA Superintendent Lieutenant General Rowen Tolentino. — VDV, GMA Integrated News