MISAMIS ORIENTAL (PIA)--The Armed Forces of the Philippines, in collaboration with the Philippine Military Academy (PMA), is taking steps to bolster the nation's armed forces by conducting a PMA Entrance Examination on September 9-10, 2023.

With 50 examination sites nationwide, the 4th Infantry Division will host three exam sites within its jurisdiction. 

These locations include Montalban Hall in Camp Evangelista, Patag, Cagayan de Oro City; Lope Asis Memorial Gym in Bayugan City, Agusan del Sur; and Surigao del Norte Provincial Convention Center in Surigao City, Surigao del Norte.

PMA Proctor Team Leader for Cagayan de Oro City PMaj Viktor Immanuel Mendoza said candidates who wish to take the exam as walk-in applicants are required to bring a 2x2 ID picture, a valid ID (including a school ID), a birth certificate, and school grades (transcript of records for college and registrar-validated school grades for high school). 

"To be able to take the exam, applicants should be at least 17 to 22 years old on the first day of admission in June, have a height not less than 152.4 cm and not more than 193.04 cm, possess a GPA/GWA of 85% or its equivalent, demonstrate good moral character, and be single, never married, and never having borne or sired a child. Further, there is no discrimination against applicants. Even former rebels can apply as long as they possess the qualifications, and taking examination has no limit as long as the applicant is still within the age range specified by the academy," Mendoza said. 

Applicants who pass the entrance exam will undergo medical, physical, and neurological exams at the AFP Medical Center. 

Successful applicants will compose the PMA Class 2028 and be formally inducted into the academy during an Oath-Taking Ceremony and Reception Rites on the first day of the admission month.

As of September 6, the proctor team has recorded 771 validated applicants for Cagayan de Oro City, with expectations that the number will increase to one thousand to one thousand five hundred applicants.

PMA reminds the applicants and their family members that both entrance and medical examinations are provided free of charge.

The examination will start with a screening and validation process, which will begin at 6:00 in the morning. The simultaneous exam will start at 10:00 in the morning and is expected to end by 2:00 in the afternoon. 

The history of PMA dates back to October 25, 1898, when the Academia Militar was established by a decree from General Emilio Aguinaldo, the First President of the Philippine Republic. This academy initially granted graduates regular commissions in the armed forces. On December 21, 1936, the Philippine Military Academy was formally created through Commonwealth Act No. 1 or the National Defense Act. It granted the Academy the authority to confer a Bachelor of Science Degree upon completion of its four-year course. (JAKA/PIA10)