Daughter of female judge in Top 5 at PNPA

MANILA, Philippines - With passion and determination, women can achieve anything, said Cadette Arianne Humiwat, who ranks fifth in the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) Class of 2016.

Humiwat is the only woman to make it to the Top 10 of her batch, also called Class Masundayaw – adapted from the words mahisud (brave), sundaro (warrior) and dayao (honor) – meaning a brave warrior with honor.

“For the women out there who are struggling to find their selves: we can do it, we can be above everything, we can do whatever we think of, it is just a matter of determination and passion,” Humiwat said.

She is the daughter of Judge Jocelyn Humiwat of the Municipal Circuit Trial Court in Bulio-Sabangan, Mountain Province.

A total of 253 cadets, including 19 women, will graduate from the PNPA Masundayaw Class of 2016 on March 10 at Camp Mariano Castañeda in Silang, Cavite.

PNPA spokesman Chief Insp. Ritchie Yatar said 226 of the graduates will join the PNP, 10 will go to the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology and 16 to the Bureau of Fire Protection.

She said the batch would be headed by 24-year-old Fire Cadet Felipe de Paz Alicando Jr. who will receive the prestigious Presidential Kampilan Award for topping the class and a plaque of merit.

Alicando is from Dulag, Leyte and a son of retired teachers.

He said he wanted to be part of the BFP to help save lives and property.

Graduating second is Police Cadet Norman Cabangen Pentang from Itogon, Benguet. He will receive the Vice President Kampilan Award and a plaque of merit.

In third and slated to get the SILG Kampilan Award and plaque of merit is Police Cadet Aldrin Sacayle Bagayao of Tabuk City, Kalinga.

Also in the Top 10 are Police Cadet Fredwin Lazaro Sernio (4th); Fire Cadet Arianne Pespes Humiwat (5th); Police Cadet Mark Samuel Labastilla Romanillos (6th); Police Cadet Nicko Czar Gallener Magnaye (7th); Police Cadet Ronie Ric Batulan Alipio (8th); Jail Cadet Edo Bardaje Lobenia (9th), and Fire Cadet Arvin Jay Bongon Laguna (10th).

The graduates will receive a degree of Bachelor of Science in Public Safety (BSPS) diploma and will enter as Inspectors in their respective public safety bureaus.

Cadette Eunice Lacra will receive the Journalism Kampilan award.

“It’s a very big challenge, I was 17 years old when I entered the academy. It is really a matter of adaptation and adjustments inside the academy. I’ve improved based on the core values of justice, integrity and service, and nationalism. I am more passionate to serve the country,” Lacra said.

Class president cadet Romar Exile, an orphan, recalled how hard life was for him and his mother, and how his entrance and survival at the PNPA could mean the difference between a better life for him and his three younger siblings.

Because his father died when he was only nine, he sold vegetables at a public market in Cagayan Valley to help augment his mother’s income.

He entered the academy to achieve his dreams of giving his family a better life but his mother Marites died when he was only on his second year.

“Life is difficult in the academy. It is hard to survive and then comes the bad news. They (officers) had a hard time breaking the news to me. It was painful but I prayed. I asked to be given the strength to surpass all of life’s challenges. I need to go back to the academy even when my younger siblings have no one to live with them. I drew courage from them, this is for them,” Exile said in Filipino.

Every PNPA cadet receives about P30,000 in monthly salary during training but only P7,000 is actually given to them and the rest is deposited in the bank as their savings.

Meanwhile, Yatar justified the presence of Vice President Jejomar Binay as guest of honor for the PNPA alumni homecoming as she explained that the President is invited to the PNPA graduation ceremonies while the Vice President is invited to the homecoming.