A Batangas-born cadet will lead the Philippine Military Academy’s Talang Dangal Class of 2026 when President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. formally commissions its 207 members as junior officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines on May 16.
Cadet First Class Christine Kay Librada claimed the top academic rank in her batch, becoming the class valedictorian ahead of her graduation next week. Four other female cadets round out the upper tier of the rankings: C1C Maeg Adriene Bermudez of Tarlac placed fifth, C1C Cherry Mae Geco of Capiz ranked sixth, C1C Elixa Anya Hernandez of Batangas placed seventh, and C1C Catherine de Chavez, also from Batangas, ranked eighth.
Among the male graduates, C1C Mark John Vincent Catacutan of Zamboanga del Sur placed second overall, with C1C Thomas Sepulchre of Pampanga taking third and C1C Ian Harold Hubilla of Sorsogon fourth. C1C Cedric Cyril Polizon and C1C Mark Clement Centina rounded out the top ten at ninth and tenth, respectively.
The class carries the name Talang Dangal, a Filipino phrase standing for Tagapagtanggol ng Lahing Dakila at Marangal — Defenders of a Noble and Dignified Race.
Of the 207 graduating cadets, 142 are male and 65 are female. The batch draws from regions across the country, with the largest contingents coming from the Cordilleras (23), Calabarzon (19), Metro Manila (18), Bicol (18), and Central Visayas (16).
Upon commissioning, 76 will be assigned to the Army, 69 to the Navy, and 62 to the Air Force.
