QC vendor’s son tops PMA 2025 graduates
Cadet First Class Jessie Ticar Jr. —Neil Clark Ongchangco
FORT DEL PILAR, BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — Cadet First Class Jessie Ticar Jr., the son of a street vendor and a former taxi driver from Quezon City, leads this year’s graduates of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) as valedictorian of the “Siklab Laya” Class of 2025.
He will graduate summa cum laude—only the fourth in PMA’s history—on May 15.
The 23-year-old Ticar, who hails from Barangay Batasan Hills, Quezon City, the youngest of four siblings, supported his family during his studies by sending home part of his monthly cadet salary and allowances.
His father became a person with a disability after falling ill, while his mother peddled various merchandise on the street. Ticar had previously studied at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines before passing the PMA entrance exam.
READ: PMA cadets train at Pag-asa Island, West Philippine Sea front line
Ticar leads the 266-member graduating class, the first in PMA history to undergo field training in a remote, contested border community.
In April, the cadets were deployed for two weeks to Pag-asa Island in the West Philippine Sea, where they witnessed the challenges of asserting Philippine sovereignty amid the presence of Chinese vessels in the surrounding waters.
According to PMA officials, the experience marked a significant step in the academy’s mission to produce officers who are “future-proofed” for the demands of modern national defense.
All cadets boarded naval vessels around Pag-asa Island, part of Kalayaan town in Palawan, and near the disputed Spratly Islands.
PMA spokesperson Navy Lt. Jesse Martin Saludo said they were sent there “to show them the conditions in that part of the country, and a Chinese presence was evident there.”
Grounded by experience
The cadets stayed at the Emilio Liwanag Naval Station, engaged in coastal cleanup activities, and interacted with local fishermen and residents.
“The visit was an eye-opener,” said Cadet First Class Joana Marie Viray, ranked third in class, during a press conference.
She added, “It provided a grounded perspective about the maritime landscape and showed me the variables for defending our sovereignty.”
Viray is one of four female graduates in the Top 10. The others are Cadet First Class Kobe Jo Ann Pajaron (6th) of Siaton, Negros Oriental; Aprilyn Magsigay (9th) of Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur; and Kristine Kate Senados (10th) of Alicia, Zamboanga Sibugay.
“The concerns and anxieties their parents may experience have not darkened the kids’ perspectives,” added Viray, who spent time reading books and playing with children on the island.
Despite its remote location, she said, the community expressed “true ownership over Pag-asa Island,” which is also claimed by China, Vietnam, and Taiwan.
“There was feedback [from residents] that they were afraid. The terror subsided once the military installed an outpost on the island, ” Senados said.
Of the graduates, 137 will join the Army as second lieutenants, 58 will serve in the Air Force, and 72—including Viray—will be commissioned as Navy ensigns.
Humble beginnings
Vice Adm. Ceasar Bernard Valencia, PMA superintendent, praised the Siklab Laya Class—short for Sundalong Isinilang na Kasangga at Lakas ng Ating Bayan Para sa Kalayaan—for being “resilient.”
Many of its top graduates come from working-class families. Zabala’s father was a salesperson; Nazareno’s, a vulcanizer. Magsigay and Senados are daughters of farmers.
Ranking second is Cadet First Class Murthan Zabala of Cebu City. Filling up the list are Cadets First Class Carlo Badiola (4th) of Tigaon town in Camarines Sur, Jetron Giorgio Nazareno (5th) of Pinamalayan town in Oriental Mindoro, Malvin Brian Dapar (7th) of Sevilla town in Bohol, and Elzur Salon (8th) of Dupax del Sur in Nueva Vizcaya.
A standout among the graduates is Cadet First Class Bin Ladin Mindalano, a Maranao from Iligan City, who will join the Air Force as a second lieutenant. He previously studied at Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology.
Valencia also shared stories of perseverance within the class—one cadet returned to training after a medical leave due to injuries and still finished in the Top 10; another passed the PMA entrance exam on his third attempt.
New curriculum
Valencia said the Pag-asa Island deployment was done in support of President Marcos’ 2024 commencement message directing the PMA to “future-proof” the country’s next generation of military leaders.
Beginning next year, the academy will implement a new curriculum featuring basic courses in artificial intelligence and emerging technologies. Cadets will also take part in national and international “e-games” and “cyberwarfare games” to sharpen strategic thinking for 21st-century conflicts.
To meet the rising demand for professional military officers, the PMA also plans to increase its annual intake to 2,000 cadets. /cb
