" Many are called but few are chosen."

Out          of the twenty two thousand and one hundred forty three (22,143) aspiring          applicants for the 1995 Philippine Military Academy Entrance Examination          (PMAEE), only eleven thousand and nine hundred of ue qualified to take          the PMAEE. From the eleven thousand nine hundred who took the examination,          one thousand and two hundred (1,200) of us pass and were asked to report          at V.Luna, Quezon City for our medical and physical examinations. Four          hundred twenty (420) of us hurdled the batteries of physical test and          numerous medical examinations. Who could ever forget S2 Surgery?!

PLEBE  YEAR

For          most of us, being a PMA cadet was just a dream. A dream that first took          semblance of reality on the 1st of April 1996 when we reported at Fort          Del Pilar for our Reception Day. It was a reception like no other! Far          from the usual meaning that a reception connotes, it was as if all hell          broke loose when PMA classes of 1998 and 1999 welcomed us in the hallowed          grounds of PMA. Shouts were heard, push ups were made, squat thrust followed          and all other physical exercises that literally took our breaths away.          It was a prelude of what was in store for us during summer training known          as the Beast barracks.

"When the going gets tough, the tough gets going."

Beast          barracks is meant to bring out the civilian antics from a new cadets and          teach the rigors of military life. Our Beast Barracks was no different          from the previous classes. Of four hundred twenty (420) strong initial          members of our class, twenty (20) were females and another 20 were turned-backs.          With members of PMA Class 1998 as our squad leaders and members of PMA          Class 1999 as our buddies, Beast Barracks was not that bad. It was the          worst!

Coming          from all walks of life, college students and high school graduates, our          class lived our lives day by day. We learned how to spit-shine our dress          shoes, how to cross-stitch our BDA's name cloths, how tho take life in          the bowling or mess hall and most importantly, we learned how to doze          without even trying! Wake up call was at four (4) in the morning, reveille          road runs every other day, mess at the mess hall (read as Hell!), after-mess          sprints at the borromeo Field, military instructions, mase-mase and all          others that spiced up our summer training!

After          almost three months of rigorous military training, Beast Barracks ended          and came our Incorporation Day. Our class formally joined the ranks of          the Cadets Corps Armed Forces of the Philippines (CCAFP), making us bonafidemembers          of the PMA Cadet Corps. We were incorporated into the eight (8) companies          of the CCAFP and there we met our squad mates, good neighbors (?) and          company mates.

Our          class got its first taste of Field Training Exercises (FTXs) at Fort Magsaysay          (read as Magsisi!), Nueva Ecija. FTX is designed to simulate conditions          of war where cadets are to apply what they learned from their military          instructions during summer training.

On          the first week of June 1996, we experienced our first "King of Barracks"          when al our upperclassmen went down to Manila for the Independence Parade.          Life for us, exceptfor a few of our classmates, who joined the parade,          became a lot easier with the absence of the upperclassmen. But like they          say, "good things never lasts!". After two weeks of blissful          relaxation, the upperclassmen were back again!

If          Beast Barracks transformed us from the civilians we were to lean and mean          plebes three months later, Incorporation Day ushered in the rotting days          of Academics! Math, Biology, Chemistry, History, English, Military Sciences,          Corps drills, mase-mase, mess hell, kamalasan, reporting after taps- name          it, we got it!

Our          class finally got its name after a meeting where we elected our officers          and decided on what to call our class. We wanted our name to embody the          ideals of PMA. A name that would speaktrue of what our class stands for.          A name synonymous to the word honor and          dignity, hence the name SANGHAYA,          From that day on, we called ourselves members of PMA          Sanghaya Class 2000 and proud ones at that!