The Chief of Staff, Armed Forces of the Philippines, General Romeo S. Brawner Jr.; the Chief of the Philippine National Police, Police General Jose Melencio Nartatez; the Superintendent of the Philippine Military Academy, Vice Admiral Caesar Bernard Valencia; my fellow Cavaliers and alumni of our most revered institution, the Philippine Military Academy, members of the host classes for this year, the Cadet Corps, Armed Forces of the Philippines, and all the cadet girls present, especially my beautiful wife Alice, who is also here; Chairman of PMAAAI Admiral Ramon Punzalan and other officers of PMAAAI subsidiaries, the organizers of the Alumni Homecoming 2026 and the host classes; and pardon my arrogance, the best and snappiest class, at least for today, good morning to all.
It is an honor to stand behind this podium once more with great pride in this memory-filled Borromeo Field as a Cavalier among Cavaliers, as I did when I was also your Guest of Honor and Speaker exactly 12 years ago. I can still remember when I applied for admission into the Academy in mid-1966.
On that day, of the 5,457 young hopefuls seeking entry into the PMA, after the written examination, followed by the two-week rigorous medical, neuro-psychiatric and physical tests, only 148 survived to enter the gates of Fort Del Pilar for the first time on April 1, 1967 – on to this same field where we are now. Shocked, confused and very puzzled while we kept asking ourselves probably the same question: Where is the much-talked about glory and glamor in this doggone place?
Fast forward to Feb. 28, 1971. A batch of 109 First Class Cadets were declared graduates, one posthumously, and commissioned as regular officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, later known as the Matatag Class of 1971.
To the present corps of cadets standing in formation before us, there is a wide gap between your class and mine. It is a great divide of time and technology.
Our young cavaliers were born into the age of Viber, WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook, Instagram, and X. We were born into the era of postman-delivered, snail-paced mails and ink-starred love letters. The Academy now has a curriculum for AI, cyber warfare, and combat drones. What we remember are the anemic classroom walls, Garand rifle shooting practices and grenade-throwing exercises among others, including late nights and EIs especially for those who were slow in numbers and technical subjects, studying for extra-challenging engineering subjects during our yearling and Cow years.
Yet, despite the decades that separate us, there is an unbreakable bond that collapses these years. There is a shared experience that bridges each and every class that keeps extending the long gray line, year after year.
It is the trinity of our being: Courage, Integrity, Loyalty – the three words that have never faded with the passage of time.
Within the halls of Fort del Pilar, these words have always had names, faces, and stories to tell. Allow me then to tell you some of the many storied past through our PMAers who lived and died while others continue to live by the Academy motto.
NUMBER ONE, COURAGE.
By the very nature of the life a cadet is forged to live, ‘Courage’ could not have been placed anywhere else but first. Simply put: before a soldier can lead others, he or she must first learn to face fear — and choose duty over it.
One such courageous cavalier whose name is etched not only in stone, but in blood and sacrifice is Conrado D. Yap, from the Class of 1943 – whose life and death were shaped by war. In fact, he was part of the class that graduated ahead of schedule due to the outbreak of World War II in late 1941.
Years later, Captain Yap was one of the 1,367 Filipino troops composing the 10th Battalion Combat Team of the Philippine Expeditionary Forces who were sent to Korea as part of the United Nations Command forces.
In the cold, early hours of April 23, 1951, Captain Yap led a counterattack at the Battle of Yultong in North Korea. While holding his ground to rescue fallen comrades, and standing firm against overwhelming enemy forces, he chose duty over survival. He was killed in action on that fateful day.
This gallantry makes Captain Conrado D. Yap the most decorated Filipino soldier of the Korean War, having been recognized by our own country, South Korea, and the United States.
Then there is the other form of courage — one that doesn’t require a battlefield.
Take, for example, a young man from my own class, our Mistah and living pride of Matatag Class of 1971, Retired Navy Captain Archilles A. Almario.
In January 1970, then 2nd Class Cadet Almario turned our traditional holiday season break into a defining moment of valor.
It happened in the streets of Arlegui, Quiapo, where structures stood wall-to-wall, some dating back to pre-war years. Archie heard the roar of a building engulfed in flames.
Without a moment’s hesitation, he charged into the raging inferno, guided only by the desperate cries of children trapped inside. One by one, he pulled eight young lives from the brink of certain, fiery death.
For his extraordinary gallantry, Archie became the first cadet in history to receive the Bronze Cross Medal. His merit serves as a profound reminder: he did not wait for a commission or a rank to become a hero. He already embodied the Academy’s breed of courage—one that requires no command when in the service of others.
Of course we will never forget then First Class Cadet Alfonso Aviles, the pride of Pudang Kalis Class of 2013.
While in Manila to serve as a proctor for the PMA entrance examination, he went beyond the call of duty and placed his life on the line. In August 2012, at the corner of Regalado Street and Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City, he displayed extraordinary courage when he attempted to disarm an armed robber inside a passenger jeepney, choosing to protect innocent civilians over his own safety.
Even after sustaining gunshot wounds, he prevented the deadly heist from being carried out. For this act of valor, he was awarded the Bronze Cross Medal. Sadly, fate denied him the chance to march with his classmates on graduation day. To this day, Cadet Aviles is remembered with deep respect as the “best Marine we never had.”
LOYALTY
If courage pushes us to move forward, loyalty is an invisible chain that teaches us why we stay or even go back from safety to the line of fire to save a fellow soldier or others we do not even know from Adam.
In August 2008, loyalty took the form of a combatant and intelligence officer, a son of the long gray line from Bigkis Lahi Class of 1990.
What should have been a quiet dawn was shattered by gunfire and flames as the Moro Islamic Liberation Front attacked soldiers and civilians alike. Among the lives violently taken by the rebels was that of Lt. Col. Angel Benitez, an army officer who once dared dream of becoming the Chief of the armed forces.
Lt. Col. Angel’s team did their best to fight their way out. They had gone to safety – but decided to return to save the civilians still under attack.
But, as we were taught in the Academy, loyalty does not abandon, and it does not turn away when others are in danger. His final words to his superiors: “Sir, na-corner na kami”, followed by a deafening silence.
Indeed, in crucibles of combat, loyalty is no longer a word spoken in lectures, nor engraved on walls. It becomes action.
So it was for Captain Rommel Sandoval of Siklab Laya Class of 2005.
It was in the longest and most intense urban combat in Philippine history, in 2017, the siege of Marawi City in particular, where a fellow Cavalier showed what loyalty to one’s men truly demands.
As the battle between government security forces and the Islamic State–affiliated militants raged in September 2017, the 11th Scout Ranger Company, led by Captain Rommel Sandoval, was clearing a five-storey commercial complex when one of his soldiers, Corporal Jayson Mante, was pinned down under relentless enemy fire inside the said militant stronghold.
Refusing to leave his soldier, Captain Sandoval, together with Private First Class Sherwin Canapi, crawled over Corporal Mante through an alternate route as they tried to pull him up to safety.
The recovered body of Captain Sandoval, with bullets lodged in his chest meant for Corporal Mante, proved with unmistakable clarity that he lived by the words he would often tell his men: “Walang Iwanan”.
Up to their final breaths, Lt. Col. Benitez and Capt. Sandoval understood loyalty as the Academy teaches it — standing their ground with their men as well as fellow Filipinos they swore to serve and protect, faithful to the mission, and true to the nation they swore to defend, even in the face of death.
Courage and loyalty – two out of three values that stand equally in the hearts of every Cavalier.
Yet if I may speak candidly, between you and me, I have always held the third one closest to my heart and above the rest. And that is:
INTEGRITY.
Cavalier Jose Crisol, the former Deputy Minister of Defense for Home Defense, captured its gravity when he said: “Strike out integrity and a cadet or any man for that matter will be wretch, a scum of the lowest stratum of society, an abominable creature who is a living dead”.
Integrity is also a story of strong conviction and steady leadership — as in the case of former Chief Philippine Constabulary, AFP Chief of Staff and Secretary of National Defense General Renato de Villa, and his Deputy Chief PC Brigadier General Fidel Singson. Both are members of Class of 1957.
Their legacy is defined by formidable, quiet strength. During their time as Chief and Deputy Chief of the Philippine Constabulary respectively, while I served in the PC/INP Anti-Carnapping Task Force, I witnessed firsthand how all the members of our task force as well as those who had the opportunity to serve directly under them simply toe the line in practicing and internalizing integrity — not out of fear, but out of self-pride and dignity driven by a profound, earned respect for these two officers and gentlemen.
Throughout their journeys — from the halls of the PMA to the summits of their military careers, their names have been highly regarded. Such reputation is earned by their professional and personal integrity, they who consistently upheld the highest ethical standards and unrelenting respect for the rule of law.
If the test of courage and loyalty transpires during times of danger, integrity is tested in positions of power and influence, especially when no one is looking.
But my most unforgettable memory of a raw display of INTEGRITY is one not from a graduate of the Philippine Military Academy.
Let me tell you the story that transpired not in the halls of our Academy nor from the battlefield, but from a modest home several decades ago.
One ordinary afternoon, two young brothers, both in the primary grade – the older one was in Grade 4, the younger in Grade 2 – were walking home from their school. Just before exiting their school’s wooden gate, something shiny on the dusty ground caught their attention. It was a one-centavo coin.
Upon reaching home, the older brother was excited to report to his mother his find. In my generation, take note that a one-centavo was not at all worthless. In those days, five centavos could already buy a warm cup of arroz caldo — enough to fill one’s stomach for breakfast or merienda — which meant that even one centavo carried real value.
To the young siblings’ surprise, their mother, instead of commending the two before keeping the coin, admonished them with such strong and firm words – “siguradong hindi makakatulog ngayong gabi kung sino man ang may-ari ng pera na iyan. Kaya, bukas na bukas din, pagpasok ninyo sa iskwela ay ipagtanong at hanapin ninyong pilit ang nagmamay-ari niyan at isauli sa kanya dahil hindi sa inyo ang pera na yan.”
The lesson behind this short story is this – Integrity may not necessarily be taught and learned in the Academy or any like-minded institution. The strongest foundation of integrity is best initiated at home, and even better – by the power of genuine example displayed by parents.
Many graduates and alumni return each year to pay tribute to our Alma Mater with heads held high, with pride that we have remained faithful to the values instilled in us by the Academy.
Everything else may change, but our allegiance to our Academy motto remains etched in our hearts even as we are constantly reminded by the lyric of our Alma Mater song — “May thy sons ever be men of Integrity, Courage and Loyalty.”
By the way, the woman in my short story with raw, yet unquestionable integrity who admonished her young sons to return the one-centavo coin to its rightful owner was my mother – my constant reminder to adhere to my personal credo: What is right must be kept right, what is wrong must be set right. Ang nakakatandang kapatid na Grade 4 pupil ay ang aking Kuya Ely; at ako po ang kanyang nakababatang kapatid na Grade 2 pupil.
Mabuhay ang Philippine Military Academy! Mabuhay po tayong lahat!
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