By: Lakan Narciso Domingo (Bugle Call, 2009)
It all began in the latter part of 1989 when posters advertising the cadetship program were conspicuously displayed in various population centers across the country. The promises of the program encouraged aspiring cadets to secure application forms from Regional Training Centers. By December of the same year, most applicants had submitted their completed forms to their preferred examination centers.
On the last Sunday of January 1990, about 3,000 individuals took the highly competitive Integrated National Police Cadetship Admission Test. In March 1990, these applicants left their hometowns, and on April 2, 1990, they submitted themselves to a series of highly demanding physical, mental, and neuropsychiatric examinations designed to assess their fitness for the Cadetship Program and their intellectual capacity to withstand the rigors of academic life. After more than a month of rigorous selection, only 250 successful candidates passed and were accepted into the program.
On Reception Day, these cadets bid farewell to the old happy-go-lucky days of civilian life to begin the regimented routine of cadet training. Despite the uncertainty of the path ahead, their determination kept them going. They embarked on a new beginning—a narrow road where only the most resolute endured. Police Brigadier General Vicente Vinarao, the Academy’s Superintendent, exhorted them to embrace the trials and hardships that awaited them over the next two years.
During the so-called breaking period, a time of rapid transformation in cadet culture, they were billeted at the “melting pot,” where they were molded into cadets. Subjected to strenuous regimens and immense physical, psychological, and mental pressure, they were pushed to their limits. Under the scorching summer sun, they practiced rifle drills on the field, with only momentary breaks for field indoctrination and lectures. As “plebes,” the lowest rank in the Corps, they moved like robots—braced up, heads high, chins in, hands at their backs—shouting at the top of their lungs when required to speak. Through this, they internalized the principle of “mind over body,” realizing the true meaning of supreme sacrifice and selflessness. They came to understand that the only key to survival was to help each other.
Out of these shared experiences, a strong bond of brotherhood and belonging emerged among the 250 cadets from Class 1992 alone.
Their training encompassed practical skills and procedures in law enforcement, crime prevention, crisis management, and counterinsurgency operations. They overcame various obstacles and terrain challenges, conquered the Olympic-standard obstacle course at the Academy, and became proficient in handling firearms and other protective weapons.
Many struggled to adjust to the demands of training, with some lagging behind and eventually going AWOL, while others chose to resign. A total of 120 original members of the class remained. To maintain the required number of cadets, the administration admitted nine (9) applicants on May 15 and another nine (9) on May 18. All in all, a total of 138 cadets were admitted to compose the Tagapagpatupad Class of 1992. However, before the Incorporation Rites into the Cadet Corps, 40 cadets resigned.
Incorporation Day marked the beginning of a new phase in their cadet journey, living under the close scrutiny of their upperclassmen. Soon after, rehearsals for the Silent Drill and Slow Drill commenced, bringing another period of hardship. The precision required was demanding, but the stakes were high. With agony and excitement, they accepted the challenge.
December 1990 became a pivotal moment in their journey. With the passage of Republic Act 6975, otherwise known as the Department of the Interior and Local Government Act of 1990, on December 13, they became members of the newly created Philippine National Police. On December 16 they attended the Corps socials, their first in eight months. It was the Corps Christmas Hop and Induction of Officers held at the Manila Peninsula Hotel. Mr. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino, Jr. was their guest of honor and inducting officer.
After their much-awaited Recognition Day on February 24, 1991, their Investiture Day arrived, signifying their acceptance of new responsibilities. At the Skagger’s Night on March 16, 1991, they were all allowed to smoke. By then, they understood cadet life. By this stage, they no longer thought of survival in terms of hours and days but instead looked forward to the future, understanding that everything had a purpose.
Their journey took an unexpected turn with the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo. The catastrophe left a thick layer of volcanic ash covering everything, causing massive destruction and displacing thousands. Moved by a sense of duty, the class initiated “Operation Tulong sa Pinatubo Victims.” They skipped meals, collected relief goods within and around the camp, and personally delivered aid to those in Tent City, Porac, Pampanga.
External developments also impacted their training. On July 8, amid the brewing “Welga ng Bayan,” the class was detailed at Camp Crame for Civil Disturbance Control. For two days, they remained stationed at the camp, uncertain of what would unfold. Fortunately, the mass action subsided, and they returned to their barracks.
A highly anticipated event was their visit to the Philippine Military Academy at Fort Del Pilar, Baguio City. The beauty and orderliness of the Camp and its environment bespoke of the training of their brothers-in-arms. They knew for a fact that the preservation of democracy and peace and order depended largely on the cooperation of the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines; they forged friendships and gained valuable insights into military traditions and daily routines. The visit strengthened the bonds between the two institutions.
As upperclassmen, they placed greater emphasis on academics. During their designated study period from 7:30 to 9:30 PM, they immersed themselves in books, notebooks, term papers, and assignments. However, boredom often crept in, and some found more solace in composing love letters than in studying their lessons. They began to appreciate the value of hobbies and pastimes as a means of coping with the demands of cadet life.
Finally, Graduation Day on April 21, 1992, marked the conclusion of the first chapter of their careers. The first rung of the Philippine National Police ladder, the first of the countless hills of their lives, unfolded. No matter where life would take them, they would always remain the Tagapagpatupad Class of 1992.
The TAGAPAGPATUPAD Class of 1992 has produced distinguished generals holding key positions across the tri-bureau. PMGEN SAMUEL C NACION (Ret.) and the current PNPA Director, PMGEN CHRISTOPHER C BIRUNG, are both proud members of PNPA TAGAPAGPATUPAD Class of 1992, having served their Alma Mater as Directors of the PNPA. Meanwhile, FDIR LOUIE S PURACAN (Ret.), also a proud member of this class, became the Director of the Bureau of Fire Protection, and PLTGEN EDGAR ALAN O OKUBO, likewise from this class, currently holds the highest position (as Lakan) in the PNP as the Chief of the Directorial Staff.
The TAGAPAGPATUPAD Class of 1992 had 90 graduates and produced 37 star-rank officers across the tri-bureau, 14 of whom are still active in service, with 74 original members still living.
Source:
PNPAAAI Records
Philippine National Police Academy
