Philippine Military Academy

Philippine Military Academy
Akademiyang Militar ng Pilipinas
Former names
  • Philippine Constabulary Officer's School (1905–1926)
  • Philippine Constabulary Academy (1926–1935)
MottoCourage Integrity Loyalty
TypeService academy
EstablishedOctober 25, 1898
SuperintendentRAdm. Caesar Valencia, PN
[1]
Commandant of CadetsBGEN Julius A. Tomines, PA
Address
Fort Gen. Gregorio H. del Pilar
,
Baguio City
,
Benguet
,
Philippines
CampusFort Gen. Gregorio H. del Pilar
373 ha (3,730,000 m2)
Alma Mater song"PMA, Oh Hail to Thee."
Colours  Gray
NicknamePMA Cavaliers -
"Mistah" or "Bok"
AffiliationsNDCP, AFP
Websitewww.pma.edu.ph

The Philippine Military Academy (Filipino: Akademiyang Militar ng Pilipinas / Spanish: Academia Militar de Filipinas) also referred to by its acronym PMA is the premier military academy for Filipinos aspiring for a commission as a military officer of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).[2] It was established on December 21, 1936, by the virtue of National Defense Act of 1935. It is patterned after the United States Military Academy, in West Point, New York.[3] The academy is located in the city of Baguio,[4] and serves as the primary training school for future officers of the AFP.[5][6]

Melchor Hall, PMA

The academy traces its roots to 1898, when Emilio Aguinaldo decreed the establishment of the Academia Militar in the Philippines.[7][8] The present academy serves as a national historical landmark for historic contribution and its “long and unending line of quality military education.”[9] The campus is a popular tourist destination in Baguio.[10]

Cadet candidates for admission must undergo and pass series of testing (Written, Physical, Medical and Neuro-Psychiatric); around 400 men and women enter the academy each June.[11][12] Students are officers-in-training and referred to as "cadets" or collectively as the "Cadet Corps Armed Forces of the Philippines" (CCAFP).[13] Tuition and monthly allowances are fully funded by the government in exchange for an active duty service obligation upon graduation.

The academic program grants a Bachelor of Science in National Security Management with a curriculum that maintains a high level standard of cadet's performance in academics, military tactics and sports & physical fitness. Cadets are required to conform with the Honor Code which states that "We, the cadets, do not lie, cheat, steal, nor tolerate among us those who do." PMA bases cadet's development in four aspects: character, academics, military and physical.[14][better source needed] Graduates are commissioned as second lieutenants in the Philippine Army and Philippine Air Force and as ensigns in the Philippine Navy.

Despite the limited baccalaureate offered, the academy consistently places in the top 100 Universities and Colleges in Philippines for its quality education and management.[15] PMA is ISO 9001:2015 certified.[16]

  1. ^ "Caesar Valencia takes over as new PMA superintendent". GMA Network. July 20, 2024.
  2. ^ "Over 11,000 men, women apply for PMA exam - ZamboTimes". Archived from the original on May 12, 2016. Retrieved March 15, 2015.
  3. ^ "Commonwealth Act No. 1". Government of the Philippines. December 21, 1935. Archived from the original on November 18, 2018. Retrieved November 11, 2023 – via Official Gazette.
  4. ^ "Philippine Military Academy". www.pma.edu.ph.
  5. ^ "Armed Forces of the Philippines".
  6. ^ "The Manila Times Online - Trusted Since 1898". The Manila Times. Retrieved March 15, 2015.
  7. ^ "History, Traditions and General Information". Philippine Military Academy. Archived from the original on May 20, 2021. Retrieved October 23, 2021. The Philippine Military Academy began on October 25, 1898 with the establishment of the Academia Militar in Malolos, Bulacan by virtue of a decree issued by the first president of the young Philippine Republic, General Emilio Aguinaldo.
  8. ^ Jose 1992, p. 12, "Aguinaldo decreed that a military academy be established in Malolos, but the time for schooling officers was not available."
  9. ^ Quitasol, Kimberlie (May 21, 2019). "PMA declared national historical landmark". INQUIRER.net.
  10. ^ "PMA is still the best tourist spot to go in Baguio City - Review of Philippine Military Academy, Baguio, Philippines". Tripadvisor.
  11. ^ Dumlao, Artemio. "400 plebes to enter PMA". Philstar.com.
  12. ^ "400 young Filipinos compose PMA Class of 2022". pia.gov.ph.
  13. ^ "CCAFP" – via The Free Dictionary.
  14. ^ [1] (archived from the original on March 2, 2001)
  15. ^ "2020 Top 200 Universities, Colleges in the Philippines". February 2, 2020.
  16. ^ "ID No. 9105074148: Philippine Military Academy - Certipedia". www.certipedia.com.