Capas: Over 500 new soldiers were added to the Philippine Army’s (PA) roster over the weekend, further boosting its defensive and humanitarian assistance disaster response (HADR) capabilities. In a statement on Monday, PA spokesperson Col. Louie Dema-ala said they welcomed into the service 553 new troopers who formally concluded their four-month Basic Military Training (BMT) during ceremonies at the Makabulos Grandstand at Camp O’Donnell, Capas, Tarlac on Sept. 12.
According to Philippines News Agency, Dema-ala stated that these new soldiers will be deployed in major PA units nationwide. The new soldiers are part of Candidate Soldiers Course (CSC) ‘Masin-Talas’ Class 797-2025. The class, which began their military training on May 2, comprises the first batch of this year’s quota of 2,257 candidate soldiers.
These new soldiers are also part of the sixth batch that completed their BMT under the One Training Factory Program. “The PA affirms its commitment to the holistic human capital development of all Army personnel, the organization’s greatest asset and strength,” Dema-ala said.