CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — A total of 115 candidate-soldiers took their oath to signify their becoming part of the Philippine Army in a simple ceremony at the 4th Infantry Division (4ID) headquarters in Camp Edilberto Evangelista on Wednesday.
The new soldiers are composed of 95 males and 20 females, 15 of them are members of the various tribal groupings in the region.
In a statement, the Army’s 4ID said the candidates had undergone series of stages of selection process, such as qualifying examinations aimed at testing their mental and physical ability to prove their worth as the finest from among the pool of aspirants from the Northern Mindanao and Caraga regions.
After they have been sworn in, the candidates will be sent to boot camps to start their rigorous Basic Military Training.
The men will be trained at the 4th Division Training School in Malaybalay City, Bukidnon, while the female candidates will learn the military basics at the 6th Division Training School in Carmen, North Cotabato.
The Army said the training will help them transform from their carefree civilian life to a highly-disciplined military servicemen and women.
Their training, the 4ID said, will be conducted in a six-month duration, covering skills and knowledge not only in combat fighting but also in life-saving imperatives, disaster response operation, peacekeeping initiatives, human rights, rule of law, and rules of engagement.
“We congratulate each and every one of you for having been chosen from among the thousand aspiring candidate soldiers who have undergone series of tests and screenings for us to be able to choose the best and brightest,” said Major General Ronald Villanueva, the 4ID commander, in his message to the candidates.
“This is the first step as you pursue your career in the Military service. It is expected of you to be developed during this training as the most reliable soldiers that could defend our people and their communities from any kinds of threats. Make good and have a positive mind set during your training,” Villanueva said.
He assured the candidate-soldiers’ parents that “they will also continue the efforts of their predecessor in devoting their lives in the pursuit for lasting peace.”
The aspirants will fill up the needed number of uniformed personnel due to attrition, such as optional and compulsory retirement, and other causes. They will also continue the efforts of their predecessors in devoting their lives in the pursuit for lasting peace, the 4ID added. (PNA/Jigger J. Jerusalem)
