Lunes, Abril 11, 2011

Makabagong Sundalo



            It was our first time at the Philippine Military Academy (PMA). Sir Jo-ar welcomed us at 8:15 in the morning. Contrary to what was expected, PMA is a lovely place.



 As the tour progressed, we saw more of the stunning and striking architecture the academy has. There is the Lopez Hall of Leaders, the Yap Hall where soldiers gather inside this building to have their meal, the Florendo Hall where the bunkers are for soldiers to have a good rest. 




      Lopez Hall of Leaders                     Yap Hall                                Florendo Hall

There is a huge field, the grandstand just like we saw on television, with the values of PMA namely, courage, integrity and loyalty. Not all people are privileged to step on it and this is where they conduct some training, rain or shine and it is where graduation takes place. 


Where graduation takes place

There are also different kinds of aircrafts that could be located within the vicinity. These are models of the old ones that were used in battles. 


Proud group mates! (Mike inside driving the helicopter.)


There is also a big sundial that indicates local time with the use of sunlight. It was like we were in a different country and not in the Philippines.

The Sundial

 Even the PMA has its lighter side to it and not just all serious stuff just like the "dating walk". We also went inside their museum where the academy’s long and rich history, culture and tradition can be found.

 We had a warm welcome from our respected tour guide Major Sir Jo-ar, even though he arrived early and we got there a couple minutes late then what was agreed upon, based from that experience we could already see how punctual he was. He also shook our hands and allowed us to call him just plain, kuya Jo-ar, as if he was not a high rank officer. He was a good looking soldier that even our group mate had a crush on him. After, we were asked to form a smaller circle so we could hear the introduction on what PMA is all about.

Major Jo-ar, ang pogi! :) (Bayan, 2011)
            We were in awe when we saw The Long Gray Line. There was the coat of arms posted on the wall that had been represented by each military cadet/student batches from time to time. Each batch has a motto put together by the military cadets/students. The words found on their badge represent their identity. It was truly a marvelous sight to see. Our group also noticed that most of the symbols used by the soldiers in their coat of arms resemble those from the west. This may be the effect of being colonized by the Americans and especially because they have a heavy impact on our education system.




The Long Gray Line and their coat of arms

Class Seals found inside the museum


A MAKABAGONG SUNDALO


The tour around PMA gave us an idea on what the culture, lifestyle and ways of a soldier is. However, it was during the talk of Sir Jo-Ar that we found out what truly makes and what a Makabagong Sundalo.


            A makabagong sundalo is a peace maker, has love for God and country and are identified leaders. Defeating the enemy is simply not enough, what is more important is winning the peace. All throughout their stay in the academy, they live, learn, plan, work, start and build. They put God as the center of their existence. The academy is open to any religion and does not discriminate. Furthermore, as identified leaders, they win through values and being truthful, committed, people oriented, selfless and global thinker. As soldiers, they need to understand the culture of the people and must adjust to the external environment. They must respect the culture, traditions and religion of the people they encounter. Even as ordinary citizens, we must do that too. Adding more, as what was mentioned in the talk, a soldier must be able to adapt to the environment because they are not just deployed and stationed in one area. They are constantly moving from place to place. 


For our soldiers, your safety is our number 1 priority :)

It's not how you carry a gun, it's about how you carry yourself

     There is a bridge located within the vicinity of PMA where courtship between the cadet and their loved ones takes place but there is only an allotted time for this, this only proves that our soldiers are well rounded, they may be though and scary in the battle field but sweet and caring when it comes to their partners. This has got to be one of the most difficult things about being a soldier; moving from one place to another and being away from their families. All throughout their career, they encounter different people and it is important for them to know these people not just on the outside but also the inside; their core.


 The Courtship Bridge

            There are actually parallelisms between a Makabagong Sundalo and Sikolohiyang Pilipino. As psychologists, we must also understand the different cultures our country has. This is very essential especially in the field of Sikolohiyang Pilipino because it is out there that we would do most of our research and study. Thus, we must also adjust to the external environment and not just be confined within our comfort zone. We must understand that our country is very diverse in terms of culture and traditions. Having an open mind regarding these various ways of lifestyles is essential in learning and surviving out there. We must be the ones to adapt to the environment and the people and not the other way around. It is through this way that we would get to understand our fellow Filipinos and be able to study the psychological concepts underlying our own culture. We are definitely both dedicated in what we do and we always remember our ethics and how it is important in building our character in our own profession.


SIKOPIL A51 - Future Psychologists :)
Next Time Na Lang Group with the Best-est Prof! :)
            Just hearing what our soldiers had and are going through made us realize even more how committed our soldiers are. They not only have to undergo the rigors of physical training but they also have to meet the academic demands of the academy. 




PMA is a prestigious institution and only a few are admitted yearly. 


In action... New Cadets

The Cadet Human Rights Code


Of course, the greatest sacrifice they make is being away from their family and loved ones. To risk their lives for us is putting commitment and passion at a whole different level. Certainly, commitment should start from the heart.

Major Jo-ar Herrera


Quoting Sir Jo-ar, "Tell yourself you can do it, it can be done." We mus
t believe in ourselves because if we do not, then who will? Believing in our own selves and what we can do can truly make a difference for us and for the people around us. 











There's always a turning point but
the strong shall stay (Maloles, 2011)

 After a short lecture by kuya Jo-ar it made us realize that we should not be narrow minded in thinking that soldiers are this and that, but we should hear both sides of the story. This made us open our eyes to what a true soldier could be and should be, a great example of this is our very own kuya Jo-ar who showed us a different perspective on how a soldier sacrifices himself or herself in different aspects. This made us more grateful that there are soldiers who abide for what is right and hope that more will be inspired by them.




Mahal ko, Sundalo ko.







As for the image of the PMA tainted by recent events, Sir Jo-ar said that they cannot please everyone. What is important is they stay true to their selves and stand up to their ideals and values and living up to what they are taught in the academy. People have views and opinions regarding our soldiers. Some are good but some are bad.  They just put them aside and focus on what is most important and that is being true to themselves, their family and to the country. The media had not been helping at all. They have been highlighting the negative doings of the soldiers and there have been little or no positive highlights. Their integrity is being questioned and yet, they continue to serve our country to the fullest of their capabilities, staying true to their calling, being loyal to the country, fighting for what is right and protecting our nation… COURAGE, INTEGRITY and LOYALTY defines our soldiers. And for those things and more, we whole heartedly say “MAHAL NAMIN SUNDALO NAMIN.”








Open Forum with Major Jo-ar
An interesting lecture



Question: Opinion about Angelo Reyes suicide


Angelo Reyes who was an achiever and a distinguished graduate of PMA committed suicide because of some issues concerning corruption.


2sides:


From the view of media and the mass- Gen. Reyes is guilty of corruption


Military Perspective- Gen. Reyes was protecting the value system and that is why he committed suicide but in his opinion Gen. Reyes should have finished the hearing if he really wanted to protect the ideals of the institution.






Question: Until when will you support your leaders?


For as long as the leader’s instructions are right, these soldiers are willing to keep their loyalty towards them.


A soldier loyalty is given to the president who is ethical and recognizes justice.




Question: Are their students who resign from PMA? And does it affect your mission vision?


It does affect their vision and mission because there must be a reason why a student resigns. Most of the main reasons why a student wants to resign is because he or she misses their loved ones and especially their families and there are tactical officers who mentors them and try to fill in the gaps for these reasons to try to encourage them to stay in the academy. PMA is very challenging because it involves physically, mentally, physiologically, and emotionally activities and they must learn how to balance of all this.






Question: Which is more important your family or your duty as a soldier to protect the people?


It is all about weighing things, in every given situation there should be a corresponding action and that action should be weighed first before completing but both of them are important for a soldier.




The trip to PMA was able to show us a different side of the soldiers. Other than being disciplined, they have a normal life. PMA instills the values of a good soldier, courage, loyalty, and integrity. During the tour, you would feel the pride in Major Jo-ar as he tours us to the various establishments. He said that there are plenty of senators, governors, and business men who are graduates of PMA because they believe that they have a big impact on their fields.


Major Jo-ar also opened our minds and touched our hearts that being a soldier takes lots of sacrifices not just physically but also emotionally. It is very hard for a soldier seeing their friends going out and hanging because as a student they should give their full dedication to the academy and once they graduate they are assigned in different places like for example Mindanao and they will be separated from their friends and family.


The visit to PMA also gave us a chance to look into the issue of corruption that the force has been dragged into. More than that, it was nice to know that the loyalty of the soldiers remain to the people. Major Jo-ar even mentioned that they are trying to find new ways that would better the system in the force in order to avoid corruption. But, not all the soldiers are corrupt. Major Jo-ar is one of those soldiers that upholds the name of PMA because of his achievements. This is a proof that soldiers are a proud unit of our country.





1 komento:

  1. very informative =) may i know who among your groupmates has a crush on kuya jo-ar? he likes to know. hahaha...

    TumugonBurahin