PMA LURES DREAMERS
PMA Mabalasik Class of 2019 performs drill before students, potential recruits; PMA officer says Cebu has been consistent in sending applicants
Wanting to follow in his late grandfather’s footsteps, Arnold Alesna, 19, woke up early and traveled from the town of Consolacion to the University of Southern Philippines Foundation to participate in the youth interaction with the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) cadets.
Alesna, a criminology student, aspired to become a police official and declared that he was ready to join the academy.
“It’s my childhood dream. It’s a life-long aspiration because my lolo was a policeman and I want to serve the country in his stead,” he said.
Cadets from the PMA Mabalasik Class of 2019 engaged their fellow youth to become recruits and encouraged them to face their fears and serve the country and their fellowmen.
“Yes, it’s hard at first, but you’ll get used to pain. Be like us and join PMA,” a cadet said during the recruitment.
The cadets performed, for the second time in three days, a silent drill exhibition of the university’s faculty in front and other aspiring students from other schools.
Lt. Col. Reynaldo Balido, assistant chief of staff of the Civil Military Operations of the PMA, said that they saw a good composite of students who joined in the orientation.
“It’s a positive feedback. I know it’s too early to tell whether there will be a lot of recruits, but Cebu has always been consistent with young men and women wanting to join the PMA,” he said.
Balido said that a transfer of the venue of the PMA examination is in the works.
Lester Gastala, vice president for Information, Communica- tions and Technology Department (ICT) of the USPF, said that the interaction and the drill will give choices to their students if they would like to join the PMA.
“We are showing this to our students to give them options,” he said.
Gastala added that the university welcomed the plans of transferring the venue.
“If they see that USPF is the best venue for the next PMA exam, then the university would be more than happy,” he said. /