FORT GENERAL GREGORIO H DEL PILAR, Baguio City – The Philippine Military Academy Alumni Association Incorporated (PMAAAI) in coordination with the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) conducted series of activities in line with the PMA Alumni Homecoming 2023 with the theme, “PMA Cavaliers: Sama-Sama sa Pag-unlad sa Kabila ng Pandemya at Kalamidad.”
This year’s Guests of Honor and Speakers for the Annual General Membership Meeting and the Alumni Homecoming are Vice President Sara Duterte and President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.
On 17 February 2023, the Academy held the Wreath Laying Ceremony at the Alumni Memorial Park with the Chairman & CEO, PMAAAI, AMBASSADOR VIDAL E QUEROL ’73 as the Guest of Honor.
Likewise, on the same day, the Annual General Membership Meeting was conducted at the Baguio Convention and Cultural Center, Baguio City. During the said event, AMBASSADOR VIDAL E QUEROL presented the Association Award to the following:
Outstanding Achievement Award (OAA):
1. LTGEN BARTOLOME VICENTE O BACARRO PA
Former Chief of Staff, Armed Forces of the Philippines
2. PGEN RODOLFO S AZURIN JR
Chief, Philippine National Police
3. CG ADM ARTEMIO M ABU
Commandant, Philippine Coast Guard
4. VADM TORIBIO D ADACI JR PN
Flag Officer In Command, Philippine Navy
5. LTGEN STEPHEN P PARREÑO PAF
Commanding General, Philippine Air Force
Plaque of Meritorious Recognition
PLTGEN REYNALDO V VELASCO ’71 (RET)
Chairman and Administrator, Metropolitan Waterworks Sewerage System (MWSS)
Furthermore, on 18 February 2023, during the conduct of the PMA Alumni Homecoming, PRESIDENT MARCOS, assisted by AMB VIDAL E QUEROL, presented the Lifetime Achievement Awards, Cavalier Awards, Pandemic Heroes Awards, and Jubilarians.
The Lifetime Achievement Awards (LAA) were awarded to the following Cavaliers in grateful recognition of their more than 50 years of dedicated, exemplary and unblemished service to the country characterized by their faithful adherence to the virtues of Courage, Integrity and Loyalty, thereby establishing a reputation beyond reproach and worthy of emulation, and bringing honor not only to themselves and their family, but also to their Alma Mater – the Philippine Military Academy and to the PMA Alumni Association, Inc.
1. GEN BENJAMIN P DEFENSOR JR ’69 AFP (RET)
2. LTGEN JAIME S DE LOS SANTOS ’69 PA (RET)
3. GOV AMADO T ESPINO JR ’72
Also, the following are the Cavalier Awardees for their outstanding accomplishments:
1. PLTGEN RICARDO F DE LEON ’71 PNP (RET) (Public Administration)
2. LTSG WALTER S VILLAGONZALO ’75 PN (RET) (Special Field- Community Volunteer and Social Entrepreneur)
3. COL ARIEL O QUERUBIN ’79 PN (M) (RET) (Private Enterprise)
4. LTC DEMOSTHENES C DOPLAYNA ’82 PA (RET) (Alumni Affairs)
5. PLTGEN JOSE CHIQUITO M MALAYO ’89 (RET) (Command and Administration)
6. RADM CAESAR BERNARD N VALENCIA ’90 PN (Command and Administration)
7. PMGEN ELISEO DC CRUZ ’90 (Police Operations)
8. MGEN ALEX S RILLERA ’91 PA (Staff Function)
9. BGEN CONSOLITO P YECLA ’92 PA (Army Operations)
10. CG COMMO TITO ALVIN G ANDAL ’94 (Coast Guard Operations)
11. COL ANN MARIE T GERODIAZ ’98 PAF (Air Operations- Senior Officer)
12. CDR EMERSON F OXALES ’00 PN (Naval Operations- Senior Officer)
13. LTC MARION B CAYAT ’02 PA (Special Operations)
14. MAJ JAMES ANTHONY A MONTEJO ’09 PAF (Air Operations- Junior Officer)
15. CPT MARK ROLLY N BACANI ’13 PN (M) (Naval Operations- Junior Officer)
Likewise, the following cavaliers received the Cavaliers Pandemic Heroes Award:
1. CAV ROY A CIMATU ’70 (Co- Chairperson, Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID))
2. CAV GREGORIO B HONASAN ’71 (Member, Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID))
3. CAV DELFIN N LORENZANA ’73 (Chairperson, National Task Force (NTF) created by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID))
4. CAV BENJAMIN B MAGALONG ’82 (COVID-19 Contact Tracing Czar of the Philippine Government response to the COVID-19 pandemic)
5. CAV EDUARDO M AÑO ’83 (Vice Chairman of the National Task Force (NTF) Against Covid-19)
6. CAV CARLITO G GALVEZ JR ’85 (Chief Implementer of the Philippine declared National Policy Against COVID-19 National Task Force and COVID-19 Vaccine Czar)
7. CAV ROLANDO JOSELITO D BAUTISTA ’85 (Member, Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management Emerging of Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) )
8. CAV ROLANDO LIZOR N PUNZALAN JR ’92 (Commander, Philippine Coast Guard Task Force Bayanihan Repatriation of OFWs (ROF))
In addition, PRESIDENT MARCOS administered the oath-taking of the new PMAAAI Board of Directors followed by the remarks of AMB QUEROL and the introduction of the Guest of Honor and Speaker (GOHAS) by SENIOR USEC CARLITO G GALVEZ JR, OIC, Department of National Defense.
“It is an honor to be surrounded by the alumni of the PMA. An institution that has been a pillar of stability and significant part of every part of our country’s history. The PMA has produced selfless individuals who have offered their lives to defend this country and preserve the democratic ideals and freedoms that we all enjoyed today. I am filled with gratitude as is the nation for your contributions to the collective effort to build our beloved Philippines.” Those were the words of President Marcos during his message.
In addition, he congratulated the awardees for this year’s homecoming, “As you celebrate the accomplishments of the PMA, I would like to congratulate this year’s awardees for your exemplary performance of your respective duties. Let that exemplary [performance] be emulated and ignite a desire for service in our young cadets. Inspire them once more to become leaders of character. Stay true to the ideals and values such as integrity, service before self and professionalism that you have gained from the academy that everyone should innately possess as public servants.”
Subsequently, the presentation of command and honors was followed by the inspection of troops. Afterwhich, AMB QUEROL presented the memento to the GOHAS followed by trooping the line and the singing of the Alma Mater Song. The program officially concluded with a Pass-in-Review. A total of 1,069 alumni registered on-site, while 931 registered online. The most senior alumni who attended the event is BGEN AMAURY A EVANGELISTA AFP (RET) while the youngest alumni is ENS CHYMEE GRACE GARGARRA PN. (VICTOR BALDEMOR RUIZ)