BY REGINA BENGCO

BAGUIO CITY — President Arroyo on Monday told the new graduates of the Philippine Military Academy they will be deployed to the jungles of Jolo, but they will be using new helicopters and hardware to further improve their edge over rebels and terrorists.

Arroyo gave the good news in her speech during the graduation ceremonies of the PMA Class Maragtas (Marangal na Tagapagligtas) of 2007 here.

She said Class Maragtas got its name from the 13th century epic poem about 10 Bornean datus who fled persecution and sought freedom through uncharted seas and shores.

She said government will be able to reach the farthest communities of the land and assure their security and freedom through the new graduates because they are the first to graduate under the "enhanced mission" of the PMA which is anchored on the Philippine Defense Reform (PDR) program.

Government started to implement the program last year.

"We are determined under this PDR to modernize the AFP in order to deliver the best equipment and supplies to our soldiers in the field. And you, my dear graduating class, you will be able to experience during your career something that many... probably have not seen in a long time. You will eventually one of these days be able to use brand new helicopters," she said.

The announcement was greeted with cheers from the graduates.

Arroyo said she was informed that the 282-strong Class Maragtas is "very excited" to go to Jolo. "Yes, you will go and fight," she said.

But she said the graduates will also build schools and roads, teach children to read, and understand Islamic culture.

Armed Forces chief Gen. Hermogenes Esperon Jr. said the graduates will have a month’s break before reporting to the general headquarters to receive their assignments.

A total of 151 members of Class Maragtas have opted to join the Army, 72 the Navy and the remaining 59 the Air Force.

"Nagmamadali na yung mga graduates. Sabik na sabik. Parang kami noon, graduate ng January 11, February 14 nandoon na kami sa field. Maski na Valentine’s Day," Esperon said.

Arroyo said members of Class Maragtas are also the first to graduate after the enactment of the anti-terrorism law or the Human Security Act of 2007, which she described as a "potent piece of armor to shield not only the people but our economy as well from the scourge of evil."

"The Armed Forces must be the vanguard of a strong economy," she said.

She said human security has two facets – freedom from fear and freedom from want. Securing these freedoms, she said, is government’s formula for enduring peace.

HARD, SOFT POWER

She said the young soldiers will spearhead the fight against terrorism in the same way that young entrepreneurs are leading the fight against poverty.

She said the Philippine model for dealing with the flashpoint area in Mindanao is a mixture of hard and soft power: Hard power, referring to military might, and soft power, including confidence-building measures grounded on strong inter-faith dialogue and cultural awareness, investments in infrastructure, and mutual security arrangements.

"That is what you will do," she said.

Arroyo said peace should be seen in other aspects of national life other than anti-terrorism and anti-insurgency, such as safer streets, inviolable homes, public mobility free from crime, and equal protection from fear.

She said her marching orders to the new graduates are for them "to have a leader’s heart... and love the people you serve."

"Become legends in your own time, not only in your success stories... but in the successes you will share with the people in the communities you will serve," she said.

Esperon said insurgency is not only found in rural areas but also in urban areas as shown by the killing of communist leaders like Filemon Lagman and Romulo Kintanar.

He said the deployment of soldiers in urban areas will end as soon as day care centers, schools and sanitation projects they are constructing are finished. He said the AFP leadership will study where the soldiers will be deployed next.

ECONOMIC WONDER

Arroyo said the strength of the peso is boosting social amelioration by easing the prices of water, gasoline, LPG and food.

"This is the real story taking place in the lives of the people," she said.

She said the robust economy and the productivity of Filipinos here and abroad has made investors and political observers see the Philippines’ "permanent trajectory of economic and political stability."

"The focus of the world is not only on the Philippine economic wonder but the way we are making democracy work while keeping the threat of terror at bay," she said.

She said government is consolidating the political, economic, social and security aspects of nation-building "in a manner and pace that has never been done."

Class Maragtas is led by valedictorian Andrelee Mojica of Indang, Cavite.

In her valedictory address, Mojica said she never expected to graduate at the top of her class because she was once suspended due to "failure in academics" (she had problems with Algebra). It took her five years to finish the four-year program at the PMA.

She said her life in the PMA was "never easy" and was "too regimented" but she stuck to her duties and studied hard.

Mojica was not able to go to college after her high school graduation because her father got sick and her tuition was used to pay the bills. Unknown to her parents, she applied at the PMA and passed the test.

She said many of the other cadets have the same success stories.

Relatives of Jonelle Beltran said it was he who was at the top of the class as of February, but when the deliberations came, he turned out to be only second.

NEW PMA PROGRAMS

Defense Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. said Beltran had a "violation" which made him lose points and the valedictory post.

Maj. Gen. Leopoldo Maligalig, PMA superintendent, said Class Maragtas is the first batch to finish under the new PMA roadmap under which leadership enhancement programs and values seminars are included in the curriculum to instill a deeper sense of leadership in the cadets.

As a result of reform initiatives, only two cases of maltreatment were recorded in Class Maragtas.

Maligalig said the academy is implementing a new policy, "Rank has its responsibility rather than privilege."

"There has been a paradigm shift to make training more relevant," he said. – With Elena Catajan