Wednesday, June 13, 2007
PHILIPPINE MILITARY ACADEMY - MASIGLAHI 2009
The Philippine Military Academy's Masiglahi 2009 Silent Drill Company dazzled the audience at Rizal Park's Quirino Grandstand with its complex synchronized maneuvers and formations. The performance, part of the Independence Day celebration festivities, was a big hit to both young and old alike who endured the searing afternoon sun just to watch our nation's finest cadets enthusiastically strut their stuff.
posted by Señor Enrique at 7:53 AM
38 Comments:
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said... Beautiful pics! Wish I was there!
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Señor Enrique said... Thanks, Rhoda!
Do they have a weekly performance of this drill in their Baguio campus? It is really an awesome sight!-
said...
As far as I remember, they do it every Saturday and on graduation ceremonies, or when there are visiting dignitaries.
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carlotta1924 said...
well, your pictures are simply dazzling. =)
it's always fun to watch them on a parade. =)-
NOYPETES said...
Independence Day Parade was always a "must go" for me and my father whenever he was in Manila. He would put me up on his shoulder so I can witness the marching band and the soldiers in their gala uniforms marching proudly infront of the grandstand. I got my walking genes from my father who loved to walk. After the parade would be a stop at the Besa Boxing Arena behind the Metropolitan theater to gaze at the photos of pinoy boxing greats in Plaza Lawton and merienda at the Rendezvous restaurant also then at the side of the Met fronting the Phil."Normal" School! Over the bridge to Quiapo, he would hold me up on the covered part of the bridge where the stench of urine and poop left there by the homelesss and urchins, just to see how long I can hold my breath and the food I just ingested then releases me while struggling to get some fresh air only to inhale the Pasig river aroma . Oh well I shall remember our walks and Sundays at Luneta together everytime I get a whiff of aroma from unsupervised and filthy overpasses and subways when ever I go to downtown L.A. ..."Bawal Umihi dito!"...
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Señor Enrique said...
Graduation ceremonies would be a lot of fun to photograph, Rhoda, especially when they toss their caps up in the air!
Incidentally, yesterday, I told one of the female cadets to email me their mailing address so I could send them a CD of these pics I took of them. I'm sure they'll appreciate it, though they may be photographed so much that they're bored of it ... hehehe.-
Señor Enrique said...
Many thanks, Carla! This was the very first time I saw them perform their incredible drill sequences.
What was best was at the end when they made the audience laugh by dancing to our novelty songs like otso-otso and etc. Suddenly, they seemed more like regular kids; not the stiff military folks as in the beginning :)-
Señor Enrique said...
You know what was sad, Pete? Since Gloria made Monday the holiday and not Tuesday which was actually when they held all those festivities, not too many people in the crowd.
Many local folks missed the parades and other festivities presented to celebrate this day. Sana di na nila ginawang Monday kasi ang non-working holiday.
That was some fund childhood memories. I'm glad you mentioned Besa Boxing Arena. My memory has failed me that I told my young nephew they held boxing matches at the Met.
Do you remember the huge coffee cup billboard with steam coming out of it? It was right there on that spot, right?-
pusa said...
very good photos, señor!
btw, i was trying to nominate your blog at the blogger's choice awards but it seems otheres have already nominated your blog, please post your code in your blog so that i can vote for you
http://www.bloggerschoiceawards.com/-
said...
Look at those clouds in the first picture. I love it!
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NOYPETES said...
yes, yes yes! the big steaming coffee pot! right on top of the building on the corner by Taft Ave.
That was a major swing by during our night paseos with the family on my brother's 1952 Chevy cruising to Dewey Blvd. via Intramuros ending at the BBQ place sa "dulo" ng Dewey.-
said...
Snappy looking cadets! Lived just a few miles of the PMA in Baguio yet never set foot inside even to get a glimpse of their drills. Hay buhay..I'll include on my things do lists again, hehe....
In retrospect, just how many in this class would truly become an officer and a gentleman??
'Twas a blessing it's the month of June yet it wasn't overcast. Very nice pics as usual. Cheers.-
Señor Enrique said...
Thank you very much Pusa!
I will also check out that site later on :)-
Señor Enrique said...
This is the time of the year, Irene, in which beautiful cumulus cloud formations fill our skies :)
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Señor Enrique said...
I loved that billboard, Pete! For a kid, it was so awesome at that time ... hehehe :)
Whoa! A '52 Chevy. Some wheels your brother had!-
Señor Enrique said...
It was unfortunate, TruBlue, that most folks were either in school or at work, because they made Monday the holiday instead of Tuesday when they held all these festivities.
It was a suny June day; perfect for a parade :)
Yes, I, too, hope that these fine cadets will all become officers of sterling characters :)-
sheilamarie said...
oh! i love watching this drill exercise, eric. i get to watch it mostly on tv when the graduation is aired. never live yet. the sound of the drum and cadence. electrifying! =D
lovely photos, by the way. it really captured the moment. especially the photo of the guns frozen midair-
said...
Wow!
I wish I was there to witness it. But anyway, Happy Independence Day to The Philippines!
Love the photos, by the way.
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Señor Enrique said...
Perhaps, one of these days, I'll get a chance to go to Baguio for graduation ceremonies and take some pictures, Sheilamarie!
Thank you!-
Señor Enrique said...
Many thanks, Kyels!
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-= dave =- said...
Ooh, silent drill and fancy drill, always fantastic when done by the experts. In our high school PMT, we couldn't even pull off one fancy drill maneuver.
I went to the PMA more than ten years ago for my brother's graduation. It was still Pres. Cory then, and the grandstand was without a roof due to a bombing from a coup attempt some months earlier.-
Señor Enrique said...
Hi Dave!
Wow! Your brother must be a high ranking officer by now!
Yes, these silent drills are best performed by those who practice rain or shine as these cadets supposedly do. My brother was a member of an ROTC team, but I doubt if theirs were as complex and awe inspiring as those performed by these PMA cadets :)-
said...
Good pics..I love to see this silent drill. When pros do it the synchronization is truly precision timing :) I remember my PMT days when we did these drills with look alike wooden rifles :)
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Señor Enrique said...
I attended PMT for only one day, Saturday. I partied the night before with my college age brothers and the junior commandants weren't too pleased with my sluggish marching performance; I was singled out to do push ups a couple of times. I was incensed, but too weak afterwards to challenge them for a boxing match (one was a classmate back in elementary school also). I was a freshman then.
Somehow, my parents believed me when I told them the hot sun was making my mind go blank and my breathing difficult. A cousin issued a medical diagnosis which automatically excused me from attending PMT classes for my entire high school years. I was glad I did it, because I was told those junior cadets had some nasty things in store for me ... hehehe.
Thanks, BW!-
-= dave =- said...
Well to be fair with my platoon mates, we attempted this on a whim. It wasn't what we were supposed to practice.
My brother's a major, but he's retiring.-
Señor Enrique said...
Your brother must be a very young retiree then, Dave :)
On a whim? Whoa! My brother was very much into it -- shining his boots, ironing his uniform, and polishing his brass buckles to no end, and etc. I think he really thrived on the image of being a model cadet.
But were they as good as these PMA cadets? Hmmmm ... hehehe.-
said...
Whew! their presentation here in davao is very awesome as breath-taking. is the picture 2nd from the bottom a picture of cadet aranas? he's my "spiritual brother". sounds wierd? we have the same mother, same father but neither of us inherited the family name of our parents? hehehe we were formerly cared by the nuns... basta their presentation was really awesome. graveh! saludo ako! break a leg soldiers!
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Señor Enrique said...
Not sure if that was indeed Cadet Arenas, Rona. Thanks for sharing with us a poignant personal history. God bless.
Yes, these cadets demonstrated incredible discipline with their drill maneuvers. The audience was undoubtedly riveted throughout their performance.-
said...
hi..i'm a cadette officer of air force rotc unit..you look so snappy and great..just like our ass. com Lt.Mojica..a PMA class Maragtas
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said...
lo po...kulit po talaga ako.. i want to b a PMAer
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said...
snappy talaga yun si lt. mojica siya training staff namin eh..magan pa nga eh..hehe...
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said...
I miss 2Lt. Ronel Perez.. Though r memories still hurts me, love him so much and still waiting for him somewhere here in mindanao (as i promised).. ... kung ako lang sana Gf nya di sana ako nakipag break sa kanya..
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Señor Enrique said...
Who is 2Lt. Ronel Perez? Hehehe :)
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said...
Lt. Perez already has a GF. He has been courting her since June 2006
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said...
May I know when the schedule for the PMA class 2009 graduation is? I am an original member of Class 1979. I will surprise my mistahs on that day.
Many thanks.-
Señor Enrique said...
Not at all knowledgeable about the schedule of this year's PMA's commencement exercise.
Perhaps, you should contact PMA admin directly.-
said...
good day sir..
no..we do not get tired of being photographed..in this small way, we are giving happiness to the filipino people who supports our stay in PMA..and we are so very glad to see our pics in your blog..we showed them to almost everyone!!
i was the cadet you talked to sir..well. i'm not a cadet anymore..i graduated last 16 march 2009..
up to now, i still have the card you gave me during our silent drill performance in manila..
i really regret that i wasn't able to invite you to document our graduation..such a waste! it would have been wonferful to see our faces again on your page..-
said...
Sir,
Your pictures are simply wonderful - great moments frozen and captured for posterity.
I am amazed no end to watch cadets perform pass and review, inspection in ranks, silent drills, Saturday Inspections (SIs), etc.
Looking at your pictures brings back poignant memories of my stay in the Academy. Unfortunately, I was not fortunate enough although a brother of mine is now a cavalier.
Thank you sir for the lovely pictures.
