Philippine gaming regulator PAGCOR has pledged financial support for the construction and upgrade of key facilities at the Philippine Military Academy (PMA), the agency has revealed.
Attending a PMA Alumni Homecoming ceremony, PAGCOR Chairman and CEO Alejandro Tengco announced that facilities to be funded will include a new Candidate Control Liaison Office, a modern warfare laboratory, more facilities for the PMA Sports Complex and patient transport vehicles.
The Candidate Control Liaison Office at the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Medical Center compound in Quezon City is where successful PMA applicants undergo a complete physical exam before entering the academy in Baguio, it explained.
“We were informed that this office is now in a serious state of deterioration and is in dire need of renovation,” Tengco said. “So … we are affirming our commitment to help fund the construction of the new PMA Candidate Control Liaison Office even if the PMA management has not yet formally requested it.”
Tengco has also pledged funding for a new warfare laboratory that will help integrate modern combat strategies and cutting-edge technologies into the academy’s curriculum, and to finance the construction of a martial arts studio and an Olympic-size heated swimming pool as essential enhancements to the PMA Sports Complex.
“These projects are proof of our commitment to protect the welfare of the brave men and women of the PMA and the Armed Forces who risk their lives for our nation,” he said. “With grateful hearts, we will ensure that your sacrifices are never taken for granted and that you can always count on our cooperation and support.”
PMA Superintendent Vice Admiral Caesar Bernard Valencia added, “We are ecstatic that PMA will be continuing its collaboration with PAGCOR. As Chairman Tengco said, PMA and PAGCOR share a strong history of collaboration, and we are happy to continue that partnership.
“Next year, we will be working on a new curriculum and we will delve mainly into electronic warfare, cyber warfare and artificial intelligence. For us to do that, we need a bigger venue where cadets can test theories they learn in class.”
PAGCOR has long supported the PMA and broader AFP community, having previously contributed a Php105 million (US$1.8 million) grant in 2012 for the rehabilitation of the PMA Sports Complex, while AGCOR’s licensees Solaire Resort & Casino and Newport World Resorts donated Php600 million (US$10.4 million) each for the construction and improvement of cadet barracks between 2016 and 2019.
In 2019, Solaire’s Bloomberry Cultural Foundation donated an additional Php80 million (US$1.4 million) for the repair of the PMA cadet barracks which started to show signs of wear and tear, the agency said.
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