Excellence Beyond Borders: TWO Cordilleran cadets complete rigorous academic and military training at Japan National Defense Academy

Baguio City, Philippines – After four years of living, learning, and training in a foreign land, two Cordilleran cadets of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) are now ready to return home and serve the country.

Cadet First Class Jhoshua Othoc Garcia of Baguio City and Cadet First Class Solomon Banagyo Mangetag of Ifugao recently completed a four-year degree program at the Japan National Defense Academy (JNDA).

JNDA, a premier university in Yokosuka, Japan, provides Filipino cadets with rigorous academic and military training under an international setting.

Garcia and Mangetag were sent to the academy through the Foreign Pre-Commissioning Training Program, where they successfully earned a Bachelor of Arts in Humanities on March 14, 2026.

Beyond completing their degree, both cadets were also conferred awards for their outstanding academic and leadership performance.

For Garcia, 25, the journey toward military excellence began with a background in civil engineering at the University of Baguio. During his time at JNDA, he excelled in both academic and military disciplines, earning the English Proficiency Award after scoring above 900 in the Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC).

Meanwhile, Mangetag, 26, previously studied mechanical engineering and criminology at Saint Louis University and Ifugao State University before entering PMA.

As the youngest in a farming family, he carried the hopes of his parents and siblings when he began his training at JNDA in 2021.

His dedication paid off, earning him not only the TOEIC award but also the Foreign Cadet Special Award for excellence in academics, leadership, and conduct.

The two cadets are set to return to the Philippines, where they will serve in their respective branches of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

In a press release, the PMA said the achievements of Garcia and Mangetag demonstrate that Filipino cadets can meet the high standards of foreign military academies through discipline, resilience, and skill.

“The graduation of Cadets Garcia and Mangetag reflects the ability of PMA cadets to meet the academic and military standards of foreign service academies while representing the Philippines with discipline and professionalism. Their achievements also underscore the value of international military education in broadening the perspectives of future AFP officers and in strengthening defense cooperation with like-minded nations such as Japan,” stated the PMA.