Police General Rommel Francisco D. Marbil, the Chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), attended the Commencement Exercises of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) “SIKLAB-LAYA” Class of 2025, held on May 17, 2025, at Fort General Gregorio del Pilar in Baguio City. The ceremony was led by His Excellency President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
Also in attendance were Baguio City Mayor Hon. Benjamin Magalong; Vice Admiral Caesar Bernard N. Valencia of the Philippine Navy; Secretary of National Defense Gilberto C. Teodoro Jr.; and AFP Chief of Staff, General Romeo S. Brawner Jr.
The PMA “SIKLAB-LAYA” Class of 2025—Sundalong Isinilang na Kasangga at Lakas ng Ating Bayan para sa Kalayaan—comprises 266 cadets, including 212 males and 54 females. These cadets have completed a rigorous four-year program of academic excellence, physical training, and leadership development, which began in 2021 during the height of the global pandemic.
Upon graduation, 137 cadets are expected to join the Philippine Army (PA), 71 will serve in the Philippine Navy (PN), and 58 will enter the Philippine Air Force (PAF).
Leading the class is Cadet First Class Jessie Ticar Jr., a 23-year-old lad, from Quezon City. The youngest son of a PWD vendor, Ticar was formerly a Civil Engineering student at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) in Manila. Despite his hardships and limited military background, he rose to the top of his class, earning the highest academic record ever achieved in the Academy’s history.
The ceremony also featured traditional military honors, including a 21-gun salute, the presentation of awards and sabers, and the formal commissioning of the new officers into the military service.
In his commencement address, President Marcos Jr. emphasized the values of patriotism and selfless service: “But what is also important, and possibly most important, is your love of country. That is, an officer who knows how to love his/her country despite its flaws, in a most sincere way. Our country needs men and women who put their country and others above themselves.”
A day earlier, the PNP Chief led in the Blessing and Inauguration of the newly constructed PMA Modern Model Classroom, where he was joined by Police Brigadier General David K. Peredo Jr., Regional Director of the Police Regional Office Cordillera (PRO-CAR); together with key officers from PRO-CAR; and his wife, Mrs. Mary Rose P. Marbil.
The state-of-the-art educational facility was made possible through the initiative and generous sponsorship of PGen Marbil, a proud member of PMA “SAMBISIG” Class of 1991. With the additional classroom, PMA is expected to elevate its academic environment, promote innovation in teaching and learning, and inspire future military leaders to serve the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the nation with excellence and integrity.
