Marcos Jr. to make first PMA visit as commander-in-chief at alumni homecoming

ASSEMBLED Roy Cimatu, a retired AFP chief and former Environment Secretary, reunited with members of Class 1970 at the alumni general meeting of the Philippine Military Academy on Friday (Feb. 17). He is participating in this year’s alumni homecoming which would be graced by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. PHOTO BY RAY ZAMBRANO

BAGUIO CITY – Heavy traffic jams clogged parts of the city on Friday as alumni of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) and their families drove up for this year’s homecoming ceremonies, which President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will grace for the first time as the commander-in-chief.

It is also the first huge in-person gathering of all PMA graduates since the premiere military school enforced a two-year lockdown, beginning in 2020, to spare cadets from COVID-19 infections.

In 2021, many cavaliers (a term for alumni members who left active service and are now civilians) attended the homecoming via Zoom while a limited number of PMA graduates attended last year’s celebrations and were required to present negative results from COVID-19 tests and their vaccination records.

PMA lifted its lockdown in March last year and has been entertaining tourists for the past few months.

The homecoming “is considered as one of the momentous events for the cavaliers,” and all alumni members were encouraged to join the celebrations at Borromeo Field “as the COVID-19 threat dissipates,” Capt. Maria Charito Dulay, PMA public information officer and a member of the Corps of Professors, told the Inquirer.

TESTS Alumni of the Philippine Military Academy lined up for COVID-19 tests at the alumni general meeting of the Philippine Military Academy on Friday (Feb. 17). Spotted were retired AFP chief Bartolome Bacarro, PNP chief Rodolfo Azurin and bemedalled marine Ariel Querubin who will also participate in this year’s alumni homecoming on Saturday (Feb. 18) which would be graced by President Marcos Jr. PHOTO BY VINCENT CABREZA

Honorary member

Marcos is an honorary member of the PMA Alumni Association (PMAAA).

At the PMAAA Annual General Membership Meeting on Friday, active and retired military and police officers, including former generals, underwent rapid antigen tests at the Baguio Convention Center as a precaution for the assembly and Saturday’s celebrations.

Spotted at the test lines were retired Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Roy Cimatu, who was also an environment secretary; bemedalled former AFP chief Bartolome Bacarro; decorated Marine Captain Ariel Querubin; former Pangasinan Gov. Amado Espino Sr.; and Philippine National Police chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin.

War era

The alumni classes include those who fought in World War II, when PMA cadets were forced to end their training and were commissioned to battle the invasion of the Japanese Imperial Army.

After the war, PMA reopened in 1947 at the former Constabulary Hill (now Camp Henry T. Allen beside the City Hall). PMA subsequently relocated to its current home at Fort del Pilar in Loakan.

In the past, the oldest alumni members were wheeled by family members to Borromeo Field so they could reunite with comrades. Retired AFP chief Rodolfo Biazon Sr. of the PMA Class of 1961 has been a prominent fixture in many homecoming events.

Dulay said this year’s host is Maalab Class of 1993, while the Diamond Jubilarians would be members of Class 1963, the Golden Jubilarians are members of Class 1973, and the Silver Jubilarians are graduates of Class 1998.

At the event, PMAAA will be issuing a Lifetime Achievement Award, and numerous Cavalier awards, including the “Cavaliers Pandemic Heroes Award.”

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