VIGAN CITY, Ilocos Sur (PIA)—The Philippine Army, through its Army Recruitment Office (ARO) in Luzon, conducted a three-day recruitment drive on September 2-6 at the University of Northern Philippines (UNP) in this city for interested college graduates to become Army officers.
A total of 60 applicants took the Armed Forces of the Philippines Service Aptitude Test (AFPSAT) while some 43 took the Army Qualifying Exam (AQE) and the Special Written Exam (SWE).
Major Edgardo Ocampo Jr. said the AFPSAT is a nationwide qualifying exam for the Officer Candidate Course (OCC), a pre-entry training conducted to cadets and officer candidates to be commissioned into the regular force in the Philippine Army ready to deploy as infantry platoon leaders upon completion.
Ocampo said they are looking for 400 applicants nationwide.
"So after nito, mayroon pang physical fitness test then medical exam. Kung malampasan ninyo lahat yan, qualified na kayo sa pagiging OCC (So after this, there is another physical fitness test. Then, medical exam. If you pass them all, you are qualified to become an OCC)," said Ocampo.
One of the aspirants was Brian Andrew of Agoo, La Union.
He said that it has been his dream to become an Army officer.
That's why he's hopeful to pass all the exams he took.
Hence, making his dream come true.
As stated by Andrew, “College palang nag-ROTC ako. So, nakakilala ako sa mga military engineer doon sa Camp Aguinaldo. Nakita ko ‘yong mga ginagawa nila at nagustuhan ko. Kaya after board exam, nag-apply kaagad ako noong may time na ako (I did ROTC in college so I met the military engineers there at Camp Aguinaldo. I grew fond of what they were doing. So after the board exam, I applied immediately when I had time.)"
