A total of 552 upcoming platoon leaders from Officer Candidate Course “GUNDAWAY” Class 64 and OCC-ROTC “TALAGILAB” Class 03 were urged to uphold their duty to the nation during their graduation ceremony at the Training Command in Capas, Tarlac.
Department of National Defense Secretary Gilberto C. Teodoro Jr. led the ceremony held at the Officer Candidate School’s Lucero Hall, where he reminded the Army’s newest batch of officers of the weight of the responsibility they are about to carry.
“You struggled, and you overcame. And you chose a path not easy to get to where you are. So, what does it give us, the leadership? For me, it gives me a sense of purpose and a sense of responsibility to reassert myself, to reassert all efforts, more than my best, in order to build a credible deterrent posture for the Republic of the Philippines,” Teodoro told the graduates.
OCC Class 64-2026 is composed of 362 newly minted officers, including 54 females. OCC-ROTC Class 03-2026, meanwhile, is composed of 190 officers, including 90 females.
Probationary 2nd Lt. Fernando M. Abanag Jr., topnotcher of “GUNDAWAY,” and Probationary 2nd Lt. Gilnove R. Olmedo, topnotcher of “TALAGILAB,” received the Presidential Sabers during the ceremony.
In his welcome remarks, Army Chief Lt. Gen. Antonio G. Nafarrete commended the new officers for completing a curriculum that he said had been recalibrated and enhanced to meet the demands of modern warfare.
“With these realities in mind, we have ensured that the foundation of every Filipino soldier is both strong and adaptable. It is built to meet the evolving needs of our organization while remaining flexible enough to respond, adjust, and thrive in today’s highly volatile security environment,” Nafarrete said.
The Officer Candidate Course, administered by the Officer Candidate School, is a rigorous one-year training program for qualified baccalaureate degree holders who aspire to lead and serve as commissioned Second Lieutenants in the Regular Force of the Philippine Army.
The Officer Candidate Course-Reserve Officer Training Corps is a separate program for aspiring officer candidates to serve as commissioned officers. It requires six months of training for graduates of the Probationary Officer Training Course who are already commissioned as Second Lieutenants in the Reserve Command, Philippine Army.