(Eagle News) – The 25-year-old son of a farmer from the province of Iloilo has topped the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) graduating Class of 2018.
Cadet 1st Class Jaywardene Galilea Hontoria, also a registered nurse, was declared the valedictorian of the 285-strong PMA Alab Tala (Alagad ng Lahing Binigkis ng Tapang at Lakas), becoming only the fourth graduate in the history of the PMA to be a valedictorian and class baron at the same time.
Hontoria, who was a graduate of the West Visayas State University in Iloilo, had briefly served the Philippine Coast Guard before joining the PMA.
He was also the valedictorian in elementary and high school.
Hontoria will receive the Presidential Saber, the Chief of Staff Saber, the Academic Group Award, the Spanish Armed Forces Award, and the Australian Defense Best Overall Performance Award.
Also in the top ten were CFC Ricardo Liwaden (2nd) of he Mt. Province; CFC Jun-Jay Castro (3rd) of Cagayan province; CFC Leonore Andrea Cariño Japitan of Butuan City (4th); CFC Mark Jantzen Dacillo of Zamboanga City (5th); CFC Jezaira Buenaventura of Negros Oriental province (6th); CFC Jessie Laranang of Tarlac province (7th); CFC Paolo Briones of Baguio City (8th); CFC Jayson Cimatu of Aurora province (9th); and CFC Micah Reynaldo of Bamban town, Tarlac (10th).
Laranang will receive the Air Force Saber, while CFC Buenaventura will receive the Aguinaldo saber.
According to the PMA, 142 members of the graduating class will join the Army, 71 will be in the Air Force, while 68 will be joining the Navy, including Hontoria.
President Rodrigo Duterte will commission as military officers the graduating class on Sunday, March 18.
