BAGUIO CITY — The Philippine Military Academy (PMA) is reshaping its training program to prepare future military officers for a new battlefield driven by cyberattacks, drones, artificial intelligence, and disinformation.
PMA Superintendent Vice-Admiral Caesar Bernard N. Valencia, speaking during the graduation rites of the “Talang Dangal” Class of 2026 at Fort Del Pilar over the weekend, told President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. the academy has begun overhauling its curriculum to confront emerging and largely “invisible” security threats.
Mr. Valencia said the enhanced curriculum, introduced last year, is designed to train cadets to “operate and win in a multi-threat, multi-domain, and highly technical environment.”
“The challenge of modern warfare now extends beyond the traditional battlefield,” he said, noting that threats today can come through malware, electronic attacks, manipulated narratives, and unmanned systems.
Under the revamped program, graduating cadets underwent micro-credential courses in artificial intelligence, data analytics, electronic and hybrid warfare, and drone technology — a sharp shift from the academy’s traditional focus on field combat, drills, and tactical leadership.
Mr. Valencia said modernization at the PMA also includes strengthening cadets’ understanding of territorial defense. All graduating cadets were brought to Pag-asa Island (Thitu Island) to expose them firsthand to the country’s sovereignty issues in the West Philippine Sea. “Our cadets went to Pag-asa Island, not just to study sovereignty and sovereign rights,” Mr. Valencia said. “They stood on Philippine territory in the West Philippine Sea to remind them that Pag-asa is more than an island. It is a reminder and a line we must not allow to fade.”
The PMA superintendent added that PMA is pursuing international accreditation while sending instructors and cadets abroad for military and academic exchanges to raise training standards to global levels.
Despite the shift toward high-technology warfare, Mr. Valencia said PMA would remain grounded on the core values of courage, integrity, and loyalty. “Technology will evolve, the nature of warfare will change, threats will grow more complex, but the values of courage, integrity, and loyalty will remain constant,” he promised. — Artemio A. Dumlao
