BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — At least 1,741 graduates including top-ranking former members of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) gathered to celebrate the PMA Alumni Homecoming at the Borromeo Field, Fort Del Pilar in this city on Saturday, February 21. Sen. Panfilo Lacson (Matatag Class of 1971), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. (Makatao Class of 1989) and Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. (Tanglaw-Diwa Class of 1992) were present. The number of attendees was the highest in the last five years. The oldest was Filoteo Arevalo of Class 1956 (92 years old) while the youngest was Alexis Mison of Class 2025. Navy Lt. Jesse Nestor Saludo, PMA spokesman, said 12,107 cadets graduated from the academy since 1906. Lacson, the guest of honor and speaker, highlighted the importance of staying faithful to the values instilled by the academy. “Many graduates and alumni return each year to pay tribute to our alma mater, with heads held high with pride that we have remained faithful to the values instilled in us by the academy. Everything else may change, but our allegiance to our academy motto remains etched in our hearts, even as we are constantly reminded by the lyrics of our alma mater song,” Lacson said in his speech. In his welcome remarks, Superintendent Vice Admiral Caesar Bernard N. Valencia said the homecoming is more than a yearly tradition because it is “a return to shared memories, to a common identity, and to an institution that has shaped the character and destiny of countless officers who have answered the call of the country.” On Friday, a wreath-laying ceremony was held at the Alumni Memorial as a solemn tribute to fallen graduates. The rite included prayers and the reading of names of departed alumni, honoring those who paid the ultimate sacrifice in service to the nation. The PMA traces its roots to the Academia Militar established by Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo on October 25, 1898, in Malolos, Bulacan. After closing during the Philippine-American War, it was revived in 1905 as the Philippine Constabulary School, eventually becoming the PMA in 1936 under the National Defense Act, now located in Fort Del Pilar, Baguio City.