Women dominate Top 10 PMA grads, female cadet is number 1
BAGUIO CITY—WOMEN cadets did it again. For the seventh time since females were accepted into the Philippine Military Academy in 1993, a lady cadet emerged as the top graduate of PMA Class. Seven among the top 10 are female.
PMA Class 2024—BAGONG SINAG (Bagong Henerasyong Gagampanan ang Tama: Serbisyo, Integridad at Nasyonalismo and Aming Gabay) is composed of 278 graduates with 224 male and 54 female.
Cadet 1CL Jeneth B. Elumba, 24 years old, from Surigao del Norte, will be graduating magna cum laude and will receive the Presidential Saber and the Philippine Army Saber among the seven awards she will be endowed with.
Elumba grew up in a farming community. “My father is a farmer and my mother is a barangay kagawad,” she said. Her father is the elected barangay captain but she still considers farming as their main source of livelihood as it had been since she was a child, she said.
Elumba is a phenomenon not only for graduating number one but also because she had a major setback which she hurdled through sheer determination. “I was operated on for appendicitis after a training in Bulacan during my third year at the academy and was not able to do the physical activities and training for about a year,” she said. She was about to be discharged for medical reasons. “I thought it was the end of my cadetship but I persisted in prayer,” she said. Needless to say, more than prayers, she exerted her utmost and was able to cope with the required physical fitness standards.
Her father, who finished criminology, had a dream. He wanted to be a uniformed officer which was frustrated by personal circumstances. Growing up, she would listen to her father and this aspiration which became her own. For her, entering the PMA was an opportunity to make the dream come true.
The rankings and awardees were announced only before a press conference of the announcement of the Top 10 today and Elumba’s parents are also just to find out. If they are watching the live stream, I hope they are happy, Elumba said in her dialect.
Following Elumba and according to rank are the following:
Top 2—Cadet 1CL Mark Armeul U Boiles, 21, from Novaliches, Quezon City. He will be joining the Philippine Air Force. He is the son of a tricycle driver and graduated with honors from FEU High School. He will receive the Vice Presidential Saber, the Philippine Air Force Saber and the General Antonio Luna Award among the eight that he will be garnered with.
Top 3—Cadet 1CL Kim Harold L. Gilo, 22, magna cum laude, will join the Philippine Navy. Hailing from Butuan City, he is a Born Again Christian, the son of a fireman. His mother is a midwife. He finished high scholl with high honors at the Agusan National High School. He will receive the Secretary of National Defense Saber, Philippine Navy Saber, Natural Science Plaque among seven awards.
Top 4—Cadet 1 CL Cyril Joy J. Masculino, magna cum laude, the daughter of a retired soldier and a teacher. A Bicolano, she graduated valedictorian at Legazpi City High School. She will join the Philippine Army.
Top 5—Cadet 1CL Rosemel B. Dogello, 21 years old, a Hiligaynon from Jamindan, Capiz. She will join the Army. She is also the daughter of a soldier. Her mother is a homemaker. She finished high school with honors and attended some college courses at the Capiz State University.
Top 6—Cadet 1Cl Alexa Mye P. Valen, 21 years old, a Bisaya with address at Kapatagan, Lanao del Norte. She is the daughter of a farmer while her mother works as a disbursing officer. She also graduated with high honors from the Filipino-turkish Tolerance School and will join the Army.
Top 7—Cadet 1CL Floyd Nino Arthur G. Roxas, 23, a Hiligaynon from Leganes, Iloilo Province. He was a college undergraduate before he joined the PMA. His mother is a civil engineer. He will be awarded the Information Technology Plaque, Department of Leadership Plaque and the AGFO Incorporated Award.
Top 8—Cadet 1CL Giselle G. Tong, 22 years old, of Itawes ethnicity from Tuguegarao City, Cagayan. She will join the Philippine Navy. Her mother is a police officer. She will be awarded the Mathematics Plaque.
Top 9—Cadet 1CL Danica Marie D. Viray, 23, cum laude, will join the Army. She is from Villamor Air Base, Pasay City and is the daughter of a retired soldier and a teacher. She graduated valedictorian from Asia Pacific College.
Top 10—Cadet 1 CL Neriva C. Binag, 22, will join the Philippine Navy. Both her parents are teachers from Cabagan, Isabela. She graduated with honors from the Regional Science High School.
Of the 278 members of the BAGONG SINAG Class, 144 will join the Army, 62 will join the Air Force, and 72 the Navy.
PMA Class 2024 BAGONG SINAG is the so-called Covid batch and the new cadets had to bear the loneliness of not seeing their families for the duration of the two-year lockdown. But PMA Superintendent LTGEN Rowen S. Tolentino said the academy made sure to put in place programs to address the Covid isolation and loneliness of the cadets.
Graduation rites will be on May 18, 2024.