CAMP CAPINPIN, Tanay, Rizal – A total of 159 civilian applicants took their oath at 9:00 a.m. here at Camp General Mateo Capinpin, Tanay, Rizal as Candidate Soldiers quota for the 2nd Infantry Division and three other Philippine Army units.

As the year 2021 is almost at the end, the opening ceremony for Candidate Soldier Course Class 704 – 2021 took place at the Division Grandstand and was graced by Major General Rowen S Tolentino, the commander of the 2nd Infantry Division of the Philippine Army, as the Keynote Speaker. The ceremony signaled the start of a new life for the oath takers as they officially became candidate soldiers of the Philippine Army.

The batch of the new soldiers that took their oath today is composed of 106 male and 53 female applicants and distributed to four Philippine Army units with the following allocation: 2nd Infantry Division has a total 82, with 68 males and seven females for the regular quota and one male and six females for special enlistment; Army Signal Regiment has a total of 54, with 22 males and 10 females for the regular quota, and 15 males and seven females for special enlistment; 51st Engineering Brigade is comprised of 15 females for regular quota, and another four females for special enlistment; while Special Forces Regiment Airborne have four females for regular quota.

During his speech, Major General Tolentino reminded the candidate soldiers that the profession of arms is difficult, requires responsibility, and a great deal of sacrifice that often entails one's own safety. MGen Tolentino stated that "Hindi lingid sa inyong kaalaman na ang bokasyong inyong napili ay sadyang mahirap. Kapalit ng pagkakaroon natin ng matatag na sweldo at benepisyo, ang pagsusundalo ay propesyong humihiling ng tapat na pagseserbisyo. Kaakibat ng pagseserbisyo ang mabigat na resposibilidad, na kadalasan ay humihiling din ng sakripisyo at pagtaya sa personal na kaligtasan.”

"Ngunit huwag kayong mangamba, lahat naman ng ito ay inyong paghahandaan. Kayo ay sasanayin upang magkaroon kayo ng kakayahan at karunungang gampanan ang mga tungkulin at responsibilidad na nakapaloob sa pagseserbisyo sa loob ng Philippine Army," General Tolentino said.