Be champions of people’s welfare, PMA graduates told

FORT DEL PILAR, BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — President Marcos urged the 278-strong graduates of the Philippine Military Academy class of 2024 to become champions of the welfare of the people.

Soldiering now is no longer limited to defending territories but to improve the lives of the people who live in it, the Chief Executive stressed as he hailed the graduates of “Bagong Sinag” class of 2024.

The President recognized them as “products of the best military school of the world” and coming from a great tradition of excellence being produced by “the best military school in the world.”

Marcos lined up a number of tasks for the PMA graduates such as, “You will forgo the comforts of home so that people would be secure. You endure physical separation of your loved on so that families can live in peace and communities that you will protect.”

“You will respect civilian authority, you will protect the life and liberty of our people. You will defend the sovereignty of the state and you will ensure the integrity of the national territory,” the commander-in-chief said.

“It is this very sense of mission that makes your profession most noble,” the President said, emphasizing that the country is now in a crucial time.

Marcos said the incoming military officers would also have to deal with “evolving threats that harm our people and corrode social and political trust.”

“We will be adept, we will be flexible, and we will be ready in repelling such things,” he added.

He emphasized that amid digital battlefield, a clear vision for truth, integrity and patriotism, are necessary tools to combat attempts at disinformation and infiltration.