Five USM Alumni now Philippine Army Officers

Five graduates of the University of Southern Mindanao (USM) namely, 2LT Gedric Louie C Alerta PA, 2LT Efren C Garciano Jr PA, 2LT Al-Raheem S Abugantao PA, 2LT Kylebert Patrick B Las Piñas PA, and 2LT Carl Bernard V Marasigan PA, finished the Officer Candidate Course of the Philippine Army on June 15, 2024, at the Makabulos Grandstand, Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), Capas, Tarlac. 

Alerta and Garciano finished a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering (BSCE) in 2022, while Abugantao completed a Bachelor of Science in Electronics and Communication Engineering (BSEcE) in 2021. Additionally, Las Piñas finished a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration major in Marketing Management in 2022, and Marasigan accomplished a degree in Mechanical Engineering at USM-Kidapawan City Campus (USM-KCC) in 2019. 

Their batch, called OCC “ARAMSIDLAK” Class 60-2024 or the “Alamat ng mga Responsable at Aktibong Mandirigma, Sundalong Ilaw sa Digmaan, Layunin ay Kapayapaan” unites to serve and lead in the Philippine Army. 

The class stands to take on the challenge of being young officers driven to give modern solutions to long-standing problems, multitask efficiently and effectively to deliver quality work, and stand up against issues in the country. 

Hon. Gilberto C. Teodoro Jr., the Secretary of the National Defense, graced the graduation rites as the Guest of Honor and Speaker. In his speech, he commended the parents of the new lieutenants for raising them to be competent individuals. He also highlighted that the different narratives of each officer candidate motivate the continuous change and innovation in the Philippine Army as we promote inclusivity and diversity.

The Philippine Army Officer Candidate School said in a Facebook post:  “As the new set of young officers joins the growing and strong family of the Philippine Army, they will continue to be the living embodiment of the OCS’ values of valor, integrity, and duty—always.”