CentCom hold sends-off ceremony for PMA-bound cadets

Some of the incoming PMA cadets board the military aircraft that will ferry them from Cebu to Clark. | Central Command AFP

CEBU CITY, Philippines— A simple send-off ceremony was held on Monday, June 8, 2020, at the Central Command headquarters in Camp Lapu-Lapu here for the 39 cadets who will be joining the Philippine Military Academy in Baguio City.

The 39 cadets are from around the Visayas and one from Mindanao. There are cadets from Bohol, Cebu, Negros Oriental, Negros Occidental,  Samar,  Iloilo, Antique, Aklan, Surigao Del Norte, Leyte, and Capiz.

The send off ceremony was headed by Central Command Commander Lieutenant General Roberto Ancan, who gave the cadets a message before leaving.

“Take one day at a time. Follow the legal orders at all times, adhere to the Honor system and Honor code of the academy, and pray to The Almighty for guidance and spiritual strength regardless of what religion you are practicing,” said Ancan.

These PMA 2024 cadets were advised to stay at the Headquarters of Armed Forces of the Philippines Central Command last May 31, 2020  to undergo a 7-day quarantine and COVID-19 PCR testing as part of the standard procedure. And all tests came back negative signaling that these PMA incoming cadets from the Visayas are good to go.

The applicants were transported via military aircraft from the Mactan-Cebu Airport to Clark International Airport. From there, they were then brought to the Philippine Military Academy in Baguio City.

Ancan said that these young incoming cadets are about to begin a very significant milestone in their life by joining one of the most prestigious academies in the Philippines.

“I hope that they will finish what they are about to start as a cadet of the Philippine Military Academy and eventually join us in the service as Officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines,” said Ancan. /bmjo