FORT GENERAL GREGORIO H DEL PILAR, Baguio City - The Philippine Military Academy (PMA) conducted the Incorporation Rites of PMA “Siglab-Kasilag” (Sigasig sa Labanan, Kalasag ng Sinilangan) Class of 2028 with RADM CAESAR BERNARD N VALENCIA PN, Superintendent, PMA as the Keynote Speaker at the Borromeo Field on Saturday, 27 July 2028.

The Incorporation Rites marks the fourthclass cadets’ formal integration to the Cadet Corps Armed Forces of the Philippines after surpassing the New Cadet Battalion (NCBn) Training. The program formally started with an invocation led by the Command Chaplain, LTC ARNOLD T VERGARA CHS (GSC) followed by the Opening Remarks of the Commandant of Cadets, BGEN RAMON P FLORES PA.

BGEN FLORES stated, “The leadership journey of the firstclass cadets already started on June 1. You now have the privilege, and the duties, and responsibilities to lead the corps. Up to this point from our perspective, you have been doing a very great job. For the second class cadets, whom the leadership details of these fourth class cadets have been given starting from June 15 up to now, you have transformed these fourth class cadets into what they are now today. From the start of the manual of arms, until being incorporated in the Corps, we have seen them metamorphose into that particular budding leaders of our country.”

Also, he supplemented, “For the third class, this is your yearling buddy, you have the responsibility to train them. For the fourth class cadets, this is now the start of making your dreams come true. Let me train you, let us train you, let the upper class cadets train you to become what they are now today.”

Subsequently, RADM VALENCIA delivered his message, “To the members of Class of 2028, after this, your lives are about to undergo profound changes. Trust me, in the coming months there will be multiple times when you will doubt yourselves. You will come close to faltering, you may even consider the lies that your body is telling you that you do not belong here. But when all these negative thoughts start to enter your minds, remember always that you are already here. You deserve to be here and you will not care whatever happens to you because you have that innate desire to be a warrior. A true and noble defender of our maritime nation.”

He also emphasized, “The training that you will receive in the next four years will uncover virtues and strengths within you that you may not have realized you possess, and you will learn how to exploit these strengths for the greater good of our people. But in your journey here you will also discover weaknesses and habits that may hinder your quest for excellence. Believe in yourself and the Almighty and in time you will overcome all of these.”