YKalinga PMAer earns 2021 PMA Athletic Saber award

Tabuk City, Kalinga ̶ Cadet 1CL Jaevin Latugan, 23 and who hailed from Lubo, Tanudan is this year’s PMA Athletic Saber Awardee.

The athletic saber award recognizes the athletic prowess of a cadet, which is a symbol of athletic superiority of the graduating class. Obtaining this award means the recipient did not just excel in one sport but in many others in the course of four years of being a cadet.

Latugan recalled in an interview with Guru Press Cordillera that he was able to get the award for mastering and winning various sports such as wushu, muai thai boxing, athletics marathon, obstacle race, as well as team events such as football and baseball.

For Philippine Military Academy ‘Masaligan’ Class 2021 Athletic Saber awardee, Latugan said he focused his mind on bagging the gold for every competition - never settling for second best.

“Daytoy lang panpanunutek nu ayayam, bali nu ibaga da gamin a torogi ti PMA, dagita ti napipigsa uray anya nga ay ayam. So siyak met nu agay ayamak, i-make sure ko a gold lang maalak haan a second o third,” he said.

Although he was not exposed to physical sports earlier in his high school life, he said he went on to play various sport when he entered the academy, receiving proper training only in his 2nd year.

“Ditoy PMA ket adda met lang trainings. Ngem nu first year ka ket sabak a dagus. Idi second year ko lang a nagkaroon time nga agtraining nga usto. Ngem uray met ketdi first year nak lang, nangab ngabak ak latta met,” he said.

Inspiration in entering the academy

Latugan narrated that he was inspired by the PMA graduates in Tanudan since he was in elementary. He added that as a 2nd child among the 8 children of Antonio and Divina Latugan, he wanted to help his parents to send his younger siblings to school. That was why he was even more determined to become a cadet because of the benefits and privileges given to PMA graduates.

“Ngem idi nakaserrekak ditoyen, na feel ko a haan nga about financial lang ti privilege ditoy nu di ket pagiging servant leader ken pagiging makabayan as officer iti AFP,” he further said.

Advice to future cadets

The Athletic Saber awardee shared that the greatest challenge he faced was the adjustment from a civilian life to a military one. He said that the 1st year in the academy is usually the phase where many cadets quit.

“...marami nag qui-quit ‘pag di buo ang loob. Also, ikaw ang lowest mammal sa cadet corps at kailangan mo lang sumunod sa lahat ng utos ng walang complaints. So ‘yung sarili mo lang talaga kalaban mo sa pagtatapos sa PMA,” he said.

Latugan’s advice to future cadets is to always think of their reason why they join the PMA if they already feel like quiting. This, he said, will get them through the four-year journey in the academy.

“Prepare yourselves, be humble lang at maging focus sa lahat ng bagay at most important is management of time at ang inyong sarili kase maraming bagay ang kailangan ang balance sa (camp) character academics military and physical aspect ng cadet life,” he added.

Latugan who is also a graduate of Bachelor of Science in Criminology at the University of the Cordilleras is the 3rd cadet from Tanudan who received the award.

Apart from Latugan, Cadet 1CL Michael Angelo Madriaga, a cadet from Tabuk City also ranked 9 among the graduates of PMA ‘Masaligan’.

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