We went to the Philippine Military Academy (PMA). It's like West Point, Annapolis and the Air Force Academy all rolled into
one and it isn't. It's actually OCS (Officer Canadate School) because you have to have a college degree before going to PMA.
PMA is the ONLY way to become an officer in the Philippine military. It's like the American academies in the studies that are
offered/required. Also, it doesn't matter what branch of the military you are interested in, all officer canadates go through
PMA. We saw a few cadets and got to see them PT as a group. We got to see their barracks and the base housing for the
staff. All very nice. My wife's father was in the Philippine Army. They used to go for graduations all the time because they
lived closed to PMA and she enjoyed the military parades. She was telling me that women were not allowed to PMA before,
but now they are because I saw a few female cadets and we went to their museum and their 2nd rated cadet for 2008 is
A map of the Philippines inside
of a reflecting pool. There are
Japanese koi carp in the pool.
The view from just outside of
the PMA grounds. This is near
the reflecting pool.
This mural shows the struggle
of the Filipinos against the
I'm not sure what this mural is
supposed to represent.
This mural represents the
partnership between the US
Army Corps of Engineers and
the Philippines.
I think this mural represents
the Philippine Army.
I think this mural also
represents the Philippine Army.
The majority of this mural
represents the PMA. Notice the
KKK flag in the right side. This
society is not what it is in the
USA. The Philippine
Revolutionary Forces stemmed
from the Katipunan, a
revolutionary force founded by
Andres Bonifacio in 1892
which waged war against
Spain and the United States for
Philippine independence. The
Katipunan, officially known as
Kagalang-galangang Katipunan
ng mga Anak ng Bayan
("Supreme and Venerable
Society of the Children of the
Nation") or KKK, was mainly
composed of peasants who
were attracted by Bonifacio's
charisma in demanding
independence from Spain.
Later, wealthy Filipinos, many
of whom were educated in
Europe, joined the Katipunan.
They held most of the higher
military and administrative
The woman in this picture is
wearing a "Mara Clara" dress
which is considered one of the
national dresses of the
Philippines. Notice the over
sized shoulders. This is unique
to this style of dress and is
seen no where else but in the
This mural represents the
Philippine Air Force.
I think this mural is supposed
to represent the Philippine
That's me in front of one of
their halls.
I think this is some kind of
bomber, but I'm not sure. It
looks a bit big to be a fighter.
Hey kids!!! Look!!! It's a
Huey!!! Ooooohhh.... Ahhhh.....
This look out tower is near the
parade field.
These are the stairs leading
down from the look out tower.
The view from the look out
This is a garden where the
cadets can go to "get away
from it all" for a while.
This is a uniform for the
Academy for Officers of the PC
(AOPC) from 1923-1928. The
open lapel khaki blouse with a
white undershirt and black
necktie paired with khaki
breeches constitute the cadet
gala or formal uniform.
Uniform accessories include a
brown leather
Sam Browne
belt with an M1902 and
officers' saber that are worn
by cadet officers while the
men-in-ranks wear a khaki U.S.
M1923 ten-pocket cartridge
belt to complement the
M1903A1 Springfield rifle,
caliber 0.30.
The uniform of a PC Academy
(PCA) cadet from 1929-1936.
The establishment of the PC
Academy necessitated the
redesigning of the cadet
uniform. Hence, the cadets
wore dark blue serge, sleek
blouse with a stiff stand-up
collar, its front fasteners
concealed with black braid. On
each shoulder is a black
shoulder loop with some
steaks of gold. On both sides
of the collar is a pair of the
miniature enameled metal seal
of the PC Academy.
The remainder of the uniforms are the current style began in 1958. Look familiar? It should. It's modeled after the West
Point cadet dress uniform. After only a decade, the design of the pre-war cadet full dress coat was re-adopted, only with the
collar devise changed in 1974 with the adoption of a black background with yellow
Sampaguita leaves and flowers. In 1972,
the maroon sash was replaced with the
Igorot sash derived from the Bontoc tribe's g-string or loincloth. Also noticed that
there is a separate female uniform. The only difference is that they are tailored to fit females.
This is a mock up of a cadet's
Another angle of the cadet
room mock up.
This sword was captured on
23 Feb 2001 during actions
against the Abu Sayaf.
This sword was captured on
07 May 2001 during actions
against the Abu Sayaf.