Top PMA Cadet: the Navy is the branch of service of the future

Top PMA Cadet: the Navy is the branch of service of the future.

The country’s top PMA Cadet, Angelo Eduard Buan Paras, 21, of Apalit, Pampanga, said that ‘the Navy is the branch of service of the future.’ This was his response during a live television broadcast interview on March 6, 2011 when he was asked why he decided to join the Philippine Navy among the other services of the AFP.

Newly commissioned Navy Ensign Paras said that his interests and skills will be best fitted in serving with the Navy. Moreover, he cited that the Philippines is an archipelagic country which is surrounded with so much territorial waters to secure.

Asked if he is considering to join the Philippine Marine Corps - one of the major services of the Philippine Navy, Paras proudly replied, ‘I want to be with the Philippine Fleet.’

The Philippine Fleet deploys its vessels nationwide particularly in war thorn areas in southern Mindanao to conduct maritime patrols against terrorist activities, piracy, and other transnational crimes traversing through maritime domains.

During his valedictory speech, Paras defended his Alma Matter over clamors calling for the abolition of the PMA brought by the recent corruption controversies hitting the Armed Forces of the Philippines. ‘I have deep and abiding faith in the men and women of the PMA and the AFP,’ Paras said.

Echoing the words of retired Army Colonel Reynaldo Bocalbos, the oldest living alumni of the academy who belongs to PMA Class 1940, ‘we should not destroy this institution because of the clamors against one man or two men. There are equally so many heroes here in this academy,’ Paras emphatically said, arousing the listening crowd to cheers and applause of approval.

In parting, Ensign Paras called on the nation’s youths to consider joining the Armed Forces, which he described as one of the best ways to serve the            ir country.

Ensign Paras received the Presidential Saber award from President Aquino for topping his class.

The new graduates comprised of 196 members of the “Lakas Tipon Alagad ng Bayan” (Laon Alab) Class of 2011, is considered to be the youngest batch to graduate from the PMA, where 20 of them are aged 20.

Of the 196 cadets, 22 are females. 105 will join the Army, 51 will join the Navy, and 40 will join the Air Force.