FORT DEL PILAR, Baguio City – A group of senior alumni have formed an advisory group to guide cadets in their growth as responsible and dedicated military officers of the armed forces as well as to maintain the image of the academy as the molder of courageous, upright and royal leaders of the nation.
The PMA Alumni Association Inc. (PMAAAI) has formed a Seniors Advisers Group composed of 7 members selected by the Business Industry and Retired Cavaliers (BIRC) of the Academy to serve as one of the top level advisory groups of the premier military institution in Asia.
The Advisers group was formed two years ago to handle issues surrounding the Academy and to be able to talk to cadets about leadership and integrity in their capacity as retired personnel, who are now outside government service but are raring to share their views on issues and concerns confronting the government and the country as a whole to prevent the young military officers from being misled by outside forces.
Former Armed Forces Chief of Staff Alexander Yano, member of PMA Class 1976 and the spokesman of the Seniors Advisers Group of the PMAAI and was selected by the BIRC as its chairman.
Yano gave a talk to upper-class cadets on Integrity in Public Service recently in order to inspire the cadets to become trustworthy military officers amidst the recent developments in the country over the past several weeks and the call for mass unrest to topple the Aquino administration.
Yano said the talk centered on background principles on ethics and moral values in which members of the group gave specific experiences they have had on the ground.
Yano said the cadets when in the Academy are placed in an ideal situation and usually get a reality shock when they graduate and are exposed to actual experiences on the different fields of their assignment.
The Advisers Group during the talk gave cadets an overview on what to expect when they get out and how to react to various situations.
Other members of the 7-man Advisory Board are composed of retired military men, Col. Cesar Pobre of Class 1952, Lieutenant General Salvador M. Mison of Class 1955, General Alfredo Filler, VADM Eduardo Ma R. Santos, Guilermo D. Paranio and retired Gen. Ramon Farola.
Yano said the Advisers Group can speak freely on issues because they are now out of active public service and can be sought to give their opinions on matters surrounding the academy.
The group has been giving leadership talks to graduating cadets for the past two years with the optimism that the upcoming military officers will continue to uphold the core values of the Academy which are courage, integrity and loyalty in a bid to convince people to follow the right path in the county’s quest for peace.
In the recent talk at the PMA Lopez Hall of Leaders, cadets asked how to act when outside the Academy, showing interest in what will happen to them after leaving the walls of the Academy.
The forum is part of the PMA Alumni Homecoming activities which aims to gather over 4,000 for the week consisting of cavaliers, their families and friends.
The Advisers Group said cadets today face the trials of social media, which was not present in past classes, giving added pressure to cadets with the varied facets of the fast-paced media which can generate opinion and reactions from the public in one click.
Yano said the despite the changing times, the concept of right and wrong has never changed and stressed that the Honor System in the Academy stays the same.
