The Philippine Military Academy completed what it described as its first formal engagement with European military institutions, conducting a series of official visits in Madrid and Marín, Spain, between October 2 and 7, 2026. The Academy confirmed the details in an official statement.
Delegation Led by PMA Chief of Staff
Captain John Ronald A. Mangahas PN(GSC), Chief of Staff of the PMA, headed the delegation to Spain. According to the Academy, the team held meetings with senior Spanish defense officials, paid a courtesy call at the Philippine Embassy in Madrid, and conducted a study visit to the Spanish Naval Academy in Marín.
Talks with Spain's Military Education Directorate
During the Madrid leg of the visit, the PMA delegation met with officials at the Directorate-General for Recruitment and Military Education (DIGEREM) under Spain's Ministry of Defence. Major General Javier Antonio Miragaya Prieto, Deputy Director-General for Military Education, received the Philippine delegation.
The Academy said discussions touched on officer development, academic and military training programs, quality assurance systems, institutional transformation, and areas for potential bilateral cooperation. The engagement was aimed at aligning PMA's standards with globally recognized practices in military education.
Embassy Courtesy Call
The delegation also called on His Excellency Philippe Jones Lhuillier, the Philippine Ambassador to Spain, at the Philippine Embassy in Madrid. The Academy noted that Colonel Joseph Jeremias Cirilio C. Dator PA(GSC), the Defense and Armed Forces Attaché, provided coordination support for all official activities during the visit.
Study Visit to Spain's Naval Academy
In Marín, Pontevedra, the PMA group visited the Escuela Naval Militar (ENM), Spain's Naval Academy, where Captain Tomás Clavijo Rey-Stolle, Commander-Director, received them. The PMA said discussions at ENM centered on cadet development, leadership formation, professional military training, and quality assurance frameworks.
Both the PMA and ENM also explored possibilities for future exchanges involving cadets, faculty, and academic programs, according to the Academy's statement.
Spanish Academies to Join PMA's International Cadet Conference
A concrete outcome has already emerged from the engagement. The ENM will send two midshipmen to the Philippines, and Spain's Air and Space Force Academy — the Academia General del Aire y del Espacio (AGA) — will dispatch two cadets. All four will attend the International Cadet Conference that the PMA is set to host in November 2026, the Academy confirmed.
PMA's Broader International Strategy
The PMA framed the Spain visit as part of a wider push to develop officers capable of meeting contemporary military demands. "International engagement is not simply about expanding institutional connections," the PMA said in its statement. "It is about bringing new knowledge, perspectives, and training opportunities into the Academy while preserving the military traditions and values that define its identity."
The Academy added that these international efforts support its stated goal of producing "Leaders of Character, equipped to meet the demands of modern warfare and committed to a lifetime of service to the nation."
By the Numbers
- October 2–7, 2026 — duration of the PMA's Spain visit
- 2 cities visited — Madrid and Marín, Pontevedra
- 2 midshipmen — to be sent by ENM to attend the PMA-hosted International Cadet Conference
- 2 cadets — to be sent by AGA (Spanish Air and Space Force Academy) to the same event
- 4 total Spanish participants expected at the PMA International Cadet Conference in November 2026
Why This Matters
The Spain visit represents the PMA's first formal institutional engagement in Europe, establishing direct links with two of Spain's leading military academies and its Ministry of Defence. The immediate result — four Spanish cadets and midshipmen set to participate in the PMA's International Cadet Conference in November 2026 — marks the beginning of concrete personnel and academic exchanges. The PMA said the engagement is a step toward benchmarking Philippine military education against established European standards.
Photo credit: Photo courtesy of LTC Hernandez PROF and Escuela Naval Militar
Source: breakingnewsnegor.com