Peasant’s daughter from Surigao tops 2024 PMA Class

FORT DEL PILAR, Baguio City, Philippines — She could have gone into farming as this was her family’s livelihood in Barangay Tubbungon, Surigao City. But Jeneth Elumba, 24, this year’s topnotcher of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA)’s graduating class, chose to become a Philippine Army officer.

Her father, a barangay captain with a degree in criminology but unable to pursue a career in the uniformed service, became her inspiration to enter the military, Elumba said. It was her father who encouraged her to try the PMA.

There was a difficult time when she was almost discharged from the academy, she said, after an appendectomy and she had to shun strenuous physical activities for a year during her junior year as second class cadet.

“But I persisted and I was able to cope with it with the help and encouragement of my family” and her “mistahs” in PMA Bagong Sinag (Bagong Henerasyong Gagampan ang Tama: Serbisyo, Integridad, at Nasyonalismo ang aming Gabay) class of 2024.

“This is a blessing for me,” she said.

Cadet Elumba, who will become second lieutenant after next weekend’s graduation rites to be presided over by President Marcos, will receive the Presidential Saber. Graduating magna cum laude, she also gets the Philippine Army Saber, JUSMAG Saber, Australian Defense Best Overall Performance Award (for Army), Tactics Group Award and Army Professional Plaque Award.

Elumba is the seventh female cadet to top the graduating class at the PMA.

Before her was Isabela‘s Gemalyn Deocares Sugui of Class 2020, repeating the feat of Ilocos Sur’s Dionne Mae Apolog Umalla in 2019, when the Alilem native also topped her class that had four other women in the top 10.

In 1999, the late Navy Ensign Arlene dela Cruz bested her mistahs by topping that year’s graduates; Tara Velasco in 2003; Andrelee Mojica in 2007 and Rovi Mariel Martinez in 2017.

Tricycle driver’s son Mark Armuel Boiles, 21, from Novaliches, Quezon City, is class salutatorian and will go to the Philippine Air Force. He will receive the Vice Presidential Saber from Vice President Sara Duterte, Philippine Air Force Saber, Academic Group Award, Management Plaque, Air Force Professional Course Plaque, General Antonio