Customs and Traditions

Date: Tue, 9 Jun 1998 00:32:39 +0800
From: Maj. Gen. Rudy Estrellado, PMA '62
E-Mail: mgrsc@SKYINET.NET
Location: Metro Manila, Philippines
Subject: Customs and Traditions
To: ACF@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM


I have been enjoying the arguments sent in by cavaliers from all corners on the usage of "SIR" or the tagalog word "KA." Every body has tried to elaborate on their own points. Having been assigned in Japan for almost four years, what comes to mind is a question I have been asking myself. I wonder why is it that a highly developed country like Japan who do business all over the world, continue to practice their old customs and traditions.

Why do they have to bow so many times when greeting or bidding adieu with each other. Are they showing subservience? Have they become any less human than us Filipinos? Are they less equal to businessmen of the western countries? Subservience, NO! It is more of a polite gesture which is the accepted norm in the Japanese society. I don't think the Japanese will ever try to scrap this gesture even if the whole world ridicule them. It is a tradition. We who graduated from PMA and the Associate Members are expected to observe our own customs and traditions. Who is to oversee that our very own customs and traditions are carried on? It is us Cavaliers, who else?

Some years back, thru the urging of Cav. Flores Cl '34, Cav. Rey Mendoza Cl '40 and Cav. Greg Lim Cl '45, all of whom were former PMA Superintendents, the PMAAA passed a Resolution creating the "Advisory Council on Academy Matters" which primary responsibility is to see to the continuity of the valued customs, traditions and practices in the Academy. The first Chairman was BGen Ramon Enriquez Cl '23. In subsequent years, the Council adopted its designation as Council of PMA Superintendents.

Cav. Mendoza, the current Chairman, emphasized in our last meeting that "customs and traditions in the Academy ingrained in every PMAyer is the very core of the bond that holds all alumni together long after thay have left the Academy regardless of the Class they belong to. It was the Mistah System that prevented a bloodbath in the Edsa revolution of 1986. Often criticized, ridiculed and castigated by the press and media, the so-called "mistah system," the very essence of PMA customs and traditions will most likely prevail in guiding the actuation of each one in the growing alumni population as they render service and contribute in shaping our nation, be they in the armed forces, in government, or in civilian business endeavors."

I am one among those cavaliers who find it difficult to change the valued practices we learned from PMA. I could not imagine Cav. Abadia, a four star general,addressing the likes of Capt. Pacuno Cl '59 as Ka Pako rather than Sir Pako. I think we must endeavor to preserve what is really our own, the preservation and continuity of the fine traditions of the academy: unique and definitely identifiable to our breed.

Rudy Estrellado