FORT DEL PILAR, Baguio City -- Major General Oscar Lopez formally assumed post as the new superintendent of the premier military institution in formal turnover ceremonies coinciding with the alumni homecoming of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA).
Lopez, who previously served as chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Resource Management Office and the AFP Management and Fiscal Office, received his designation into office February 15 from AFP Commanding General Ediardo Bautista.
The new PMA superintendent thanked AFP Commander-In-Chief President Benigno Aquino III for his designation as he bared his plans for the institution which breeds the new generation of military leaders year after year.
Prior to his assignment in the AFP Central Command the superintendent also served various positions in the Philippine Army including the leadership of the 803rd Infantry Brigade based in Northern Samar, Commander of the 8th Infantry Battalion based in Northern Samar and chief of the Management and Fiscal Office of the AFP.
A cum laude graduate of PMA Dimalupig Class of 1981, Lopez took over from former PMA Superintendent Vice Admiral Edgar Abogado who retired from service 37 years after his graduation from the academy.
The new PMA superintendent emphasized importance of being a world-class institution as the academy continues to open its doors to interested students through existing foreign exchange cadet programs.
He said proof to the world-class level of instruction and training in the PMA is the continuous enrolment of cadets from Thailand, Singapore and South Korea.
"By 2028 it should be a world-class academy that we should be proud of. In fact, may mga foreign cadets na naman that are willing to train in the academy," he said.
He said the importance of continuity in the reforms being instituted by his predecessors such as Abogado by following the PMA Roadmap 2028, which seeks to improve the country’s premier military school by upgrading its facilities, curriculum and training.
The premier military institution has since embarked to reform its programs to become a world-class military academy with the PMA Roadmap 2015 which eventually scaled up into a transformation guide as PMA Roadmap 2028 furthering the revised curriculum and training program in the military institution.
He said a thorough review of the curriculum is important as well as selecting the next generation of military leaders, which usually start in the academy.
He also heeded the advice of his predecessors to continue the roadmap which seeks to make the academy one of the most admired military institutions in the world.
Meantime, Bautista challenged the new PMA superintendent to continue the legacy of former PMA superintendents by elevating the level of instruction of PMA graduates reminding the superintendent a world-class military institution is the foundation of a world-class Armed Forces of the Philippines.
Abogado, on the other hand, challenged the PMA Alumni Association Inc. as it held its homecoming rites Saturday morning to continue in helping improve facilities of the academy as many classes have adopted classrooms, parks, facilities and lodging quarters inside the military school.