AFTER nine long years, a Batangueño made it again into the Top 10 of a graduating class in the prestigious Philippine Military Academy.
And Batangueños are endlessly proud that a 22-year-old son from Batangas City will be marching up the stage for this year’s Commencement Exercises as among the top finishers of PMA’s illustrious Masaligan Class 2021.
Yes, a native of Batangas landed seventh (7th) among the Top 10 finishers for the year.
He is no other than Cadet 1CL Harold Mars Sastado, who hails from Barangay Bucal South, Batangas City.
A son of a former teacher and a housewife, Sastado first graduated with a Bachelor of Chemical engineering from UP Los Baños before entering the PMA. He was also a salutatorian in high school.
Sastado is a member of the Alfa Company. He graduated cum laude and will serve in the Philippine Army.
“My father introduced me sa buhay militar,” Harold, the second of seven Sastado siblings, said. “Dati rin kasi ROTC officer ang tatay ko.”
“Simple lang po buhay namin sa Batangas. Pumasok ako sa PMA kasi gusto ko patunayan na kaya ko mabuhay na mag-isa, na kahit walang tulong pamilya ko,” added Harold, whose innate resourcefulness bodes well with his chosen field in the army.
Sastado also shared he enjoyed his days in the PMA as a cadet as he and his classmates made it into touring different military camps in the country not only in Luzon but in the Visayas and Mindanao as well.
And more than anything, congratulatory remarks for him by barging into the Top 10 this year coming from fellow-Batanguenos poured out on social media.
Felicitations for Harold Sastado flowed not only from immediate relatives but from friends, mga ka-Barangays, and local officials.
Fifth District Congressman Harvey Marino and Batangas City Mayor Beverly Rose A. Dimacuha also posted greetings for Harold.
Messages of “Congratulations!” online also streamed like a chain letter down below a Facebook post courtesy of one councilor of Batangas City.
Truly, everyone loves a winner.
To recall, nine years ago a carpenter's son from Lipa City, cadet Tom Puertollano, 21 years old then, topped PMA’s 2012 graduating class. He also joined the Army.
By topping the 2012 Bagwis class which was made up then of 187 members, Puertollano received the coveted Presidential Saber Award from President Benigno S. Aquino III, and the Army Saber Award from the Commanding General of the Philippine Army, Lt. Gen. Emmanuel Bautista.
Puertollano's batch had 19 female members, known as the PMA's "Bagwis" (Bagong Kawal na may Iisang Lakas) Class and has been referred to as "physically strong" by Major General Nonato Peralta, PMA Superintendent.
Meanwhile, Harold Mars Sastado’s MASALIGAN (MAndirigmang SAmahan na Lakas at SandIGAN ng Bayan) Class of 2021 is comprised of 138 males and 26 females.
Among them, 82 are Army Cadets, 46 are Midshipmen and 36 Aero Cadets who will be joining their respective branches of service as Lieutenants/Ensigns after their Commencement Exercises scheduled on May 10, 2021.
Four out of the 26 females made it into the Top 10, three of them were from the University of the Philippines system.
The complete list of PMA’s 2021 Top 10 graduating cadets are as follows:
Rank 1: 1st Cadet Janray Artus, the valedictorian hails from San Enrique, Negros Occidental.
Rank 2: Daryl Brix Colita, from Malalag town in Davao del Sur also has Bachelor of Science in Mining Engineering degree from the University of Southeastern Philippines in Mindanao.
Rank 3: Valerie Mae Dicang, the top female cadet is from La Trinidad, Benguet. The 22-year-old cadet will join the Army.
Rank 4: Jan Hernan Perez, the multi-awarded Masaligan Class president was a former life sciences student at the Ateneo de Manila University.
Rank 5: Christine Joyce Andog, from mechanical engineering to military academy hails from Cabanatuan City in Nueva Ecija will graduate a cum laude.She was a graduate of the mechanical engineering program of the Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology
Rank 6: Feljoy Ending, former criminology student is a member of the Bravo Company. The 24-year-old is a Oroquieta City native from Misamis Occidental.
Rank 8: Pamela Calleja, got her Bachelor of Science in Public Administration degree from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines before coming to the PMA. The 23-year-old female cadet will join the Philippine Army.
Calleja is currently the Female Barracks commander. She was also a dean’s and commandant’s lister.
Rank 9: Michael Angelo Madriaga, Kalinga native was a former civil engineering student at the Cagayan State University.
The 23-year-old cadet graduated with honors in high school. He will join the Philippine Navy.
Rank 10: Shirly Fatima Lim is from Tacloban City. She was a Department of Science and Technology scholar and chemical engineering student at UP Visayas.
Lim is the current chairperson of the Honor Committee and was a consistent dean’s and commandant’s lister. She will join the Philippine Army. (IA)