Koronadaleño tops PMA
The daughter of a soldier and a teacher from Koronadal, South Cotabato topped the Philippine Military Academy “Bagong Sibol Kinabukasan Didigma Hanggang sa Wakas” (Bagsik Diwa) Class of 2022.
Navy 2Lt. Krystlenn Ivany Quemado received the presidential saber from President Rodrigo Duterte last May 15 and she set a record as the first child of an alumnus of the country’s premier military to graduate at the top of her class.
Quemado is the daughter of Dr. Loveleih Quemado, a Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences of Notre Dame of Marbel University (NDMU) while her father is Col. Nicolas Quemado of PMA Class 1993 and assigned to the Office of the Inspector General, Philippine Army.
“𝘐’𝘮 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 V𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦, 𝘐 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘐 𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮. 𝘐’𝘮 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘦’𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰𝘱 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘦’𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵 achiever since her primary education,” said by the mother of Ensign Quemado in an interview.
A total of 214 cadets graduated from Bagsik – Diwa Batch 2022, 165 males and 49 females. Of that number, 104 will go to Phil. Army, 57 in the Phil. Navy and 53 in the Phil. Air Force.
She received Australian Defence Best Overall Performance Award, Spanish Armed Forces Award, Agfo Award, Academic Group Award, Humanities Plaque, Management Plaque, Social Sciences Plaque, and Navy Professional Courses Plaque.
“𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐠𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬. 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐚𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞. 𝐀𝐬 𝐈 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐬, 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞. 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧s, you don’t know how proud and happy I am for you and your parents. 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐨 𝐚𝐤𝐨 𝐬𝐚 𝐢𝐧𝐲𝐨”, an inspiring message left by City Mayor Atty. Eliordo Ogena on the said occasion.
As the first female cadet in the history of the city to enter the PMA earning the highest honor, the Sangguniang Panlungsod has passed a Resolution (No. 46, series of 2022) that Ens. Quemado will receive the “monetary award” amounting to one hundred thousand pesos (P100,000) for her effort and dedication and was given to her during the ‘Parangal at Pagpupugay’ ceremony on May 23, 2022 at The Farm @ Carpenter Hill.
“It has been a great privilege for me to represent our country especially our beloved city, to my parents, thank you for the unending support throughout my journey in the academy. And to City Mayor Eliordo Ogena thank you to your support and recognitions. I’ll continue to trace a life of purpose by radiating enthusiasm through dedication to my duty and service to the nation. Before I end, I’ll always keep in mind aming handog, lakas at buhay ay para sa bayan. Maraming Salamat po”, the humble response of Quemado.
Ens. Quemado is the 7th female valedictorian of the PMA since 1993.