Philippine Military Academy

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Philippine Military Academy
Akademiyang Militar ng Pilipinas
Motto Courage, Integrity, Loyalty
Established February 17, 1905
Type Military academy
Superintendent MGEN. Nonato Peralta Jr., AFP
Location Loakan, Fort Gregorio Del Pilar, Baguio City, Benguet, Philippines
Campus Fort del Pilar (373 hectares)
Former names Officer's School, Philippine Constabulary (1905–1926)
Philippine Constabulary Academy (1926–1935)
Hymn PMA Alma Mater Song
Nickname PMA Cavaliers
Affiliations NDCP, AFP
Website www.pma.ph
Campus, Philippinen Baguio flowers, Philippine Military Academy, Philippines

The Philippine Military Academy (Tagalog: Akademiyang Militar ng Pilipinas) or PMA, is the Philippine military school of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).[1] PMA was established on December 21, 1936 by the virtue of Commonwealth Act No. 1 (commonly known as the National Defense Act).[2] PMA is located in Baguio, Benguet province.[3] It is the training school for future officers of the AFP.[4][5]

History

Display at the Philippine Military Academy Museum

The Philippine Military Academy traces own its history back to the Academia Militar which was established on October 25, 1898 at Malolos, Bulacan. [6][7][8]

Graduating PMA Cadets at the PMA Alumni Homecoming, 2012

An Officer's School of the Philippine Constabulary was established on February 17, 1905 within the walls of Intramuros in Manila. This school was later to be relocated to Baguio on September 1, 1908. After the Philippine Legislature passed Act No. 3496 on September 8, 1926, the school was renamed the Philippine Constabulary Academy and courses were lengthened from nine months to three years.

When the National Defense Act was approved on December 21, 1935, the Philippine Constabulary Academy was renamed Philippine Military Academy and was permitted to grant its graduates Bachelor of Science degrees after completion of their four-year curriculum.[9] PMA was modeled after the United States Military Academy with officers from the Philippine Scouts and regular United States Army as instructors and members of the general staff.[10][11]

With the outbreak of World War II, training was disrupted at the PMA with Classes 1942 and 1943 being graduated prematurely and assigned to combat units in Bataan and other parts of the country. Many of these young officers perished in the war.

After the war, the Academy was reopened on May 5, 1947, at Camp Henry T. Allen in Baguio City. But due to its increasing need for larger grounds, it was soon moved to its present location at Fort Gen Gregorio H Del Pilar, Loakan, some ten kilometers from downtown Baguio.[citation needed] During the 1960s, as a need for more well-rounded individuals was found to be desirable, socio-humanistic courses were added to the school's curriculum.

1993 proved a momentous year for the PMA as its first female cadets were admitted and specialization based on branch-of-service was introduced into the curriculum. The first female cadets graduated from the Academy in 1997.

See also

References

External links

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