I would like to congratulate PMA Cadet Tom Puertollano, for topping the Philippine Military Academy Class of 2012. Being a Batangueño myself, I am doubly proud for he is the pride not only of our province but of the whole country as well.
He will be joining the Philippine Army and I am sure that he will be an asset once he starts his stint there. Also, I know that he will apply all the values and the strict discipline he has learned from the PMA once he gets on with the tasks of a professional soldier. Definitely, he will be mission-oriented, just like all soldiers.
As a parent, I feel the elation Puertollano has brought to his family. Puertollano has proven that not being well-off is never a hindrance to achieving a good education, especially when one has the support of his parents, relatives and friends.
The life of a soldier has its dangers and risks. But time and again we have seen our soldiers, whether in war or in peace, prove their worth. Puertollano and the rest of the top 10 and his batchmates will bring honor and glory to our nation. I hope to see them inspiring the youth to follow in their footsteps.
—JOE B. EUSEBIO,
eusebio_joe@yahoo.com