PMA includes ‘invisible’ warfare in training program

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — To prepare cadets for what it describes as an invisible modern warfare, the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) is reshaping its training program to prepare future military officers for a battlefield that is driven by cyberattacks, drones, artificial intelligence and disinformation.

Vice Admiral Caesar Bernard Valencia, PMA superintendent, told President Marcos during the graduation rites of the “Talang Dangal” Class of 2026 at Fort Del Pilar over the weekend that the academy is overhauling its curriculum to confront emerging and largely invisible security threats.

“The challenge of modern warfare now extends beyond the traditional battlefield,” Valencia said, noting that threats can come through malware, electronic attacks, manipulated narratives and unmanned systems.

He said the enhanced curriculum was introduced last year and is designed to train cadets to “operate and win in a multi-threat, multi-domain and highly technical environment.”

Under the revamped program, graduating cadets underwent micro-credential courses in artificial intelligence, data analytics, electronic and hybrid warfare and drone technology, aside from the traditional focus on field combat, drills and tactical leadership.

Valencia said modernization at the PMA includes strengthening the understanding of territorial defense, which required all graduating cadets to visit Pag-asa Island to expose them to the issues in the West Philippine Sea. 

“Our cadets went to Pag-asa Island not just to study sovereignty and sovereign rights,” Valencia said. “They stood on Philippine territory in the West Philippine Sea to remind them that Pag-asa is more than an island. It is a reminder and a line we must not allow to fade.”

Despite the shift, Valencia said the PMA would remain grounded on its core values of courage, integrity and loyalty.