BAGUIO CITY – Leah Lorenzo entered the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) in 1993 as one of its first 17 female cadets, stepping into an institution that had never admitted women in its decades of military training.
Only seven would graduate four years later. Lorenzo was among them, finishing third in her class and becoming the Academy’s first female summa cum laude.
On Saturday, October 17, nearly three decades after her graduation, she returned to PMA to make history again.
Now a colonel in the Philippine Army, Leah Lorenzo Santiago became PMA’s first female commandant of cadets, overseeing the military training, discipline, and leadership development of future Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) officers.
As a former member of Charlie Company, Santiago belonged to a generation of women who had to prove they deserved a place at PMA. She will now help shape the next generation of military leaders.
Santiago, a member of the Kalasaglahi Class of 1997, formally assumed her post during a change of command ceremony at Yap Hall, Fort General Gregorio H. del Pilar, in Baguio City.
She succeeded Colonel Eugene Henry Cabusao, who served as acting commandant following the retirement of Brigadier General Nelson Aluad on September 26.
One of the Magnificent Seven
Santiago’s journey at PMA began on April 1, 1993, when the Academy admitted its first female cadets following the passage of Republic Act No. 7192, or the Women in Development and Nation Building Act.
The law opened the Academy’s doors to women, ending its long-standing male-only admission policy.
Of the 17 female cadets who entered, only seven completed the demanding four-year program. They became known as the Magnificent Seven, the first women to graduate from PMA.
Three ranked among the top 10 in the 136-member graduating class. Santiago placed third overall.
Her achievement drew international attention. In an Associated Press report published on March 17, 1997, Santiago described the resistance some female cadets initially faced from their male counterparts.
“It’s been a learning process for both us and our male counterparts,” she said at the time.
The report also recounted how she persevered through physically demanding training, including an incident in which she fainted during an exercise.
Rather than abandon the course, she stayed and completed it, eventually graduating with one of the Academy’s highest academic distinctions.
A career beyond academic honors
After graduating in 1997, Santiago was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Philippine Army.
She began her military career with the 30th Infantry Battalion of the 4th Infantry Division, serving as a platoon leader and executive officer of Bravo Company before becoming its commander.
Her subsequent assignments spanned military administration, field artillery, personnel management, and cadet training.
From 2016 to 2019, she returned to PMA as its first female Senior Tactical Officer, overseeing aspects of the Cadet Corps’ military training and development.
She later commanded the 9th Field Artillery Battery (Provisional) of the Army Artillery Regiment in Sulu before taking on senior personnel management responsibilities at Army headquarters.
Her assignments included serving as executive officer and deputy of the Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff for Personnel (G1), as well as director of the Philippine Army’s Personnel Management Center.
Before her appointment as Commandant of Cadets, she served as the Army’s Assistant Chief of Staff for Personnel, G1.
Santiago also pursued advanced military and civilian education, earning master’s degrees from the Development Academy of the Philippines, the Australian National University, and the Ateneo Graduate School of Business.
She completed additional military courses in the Philippines and Australia, along with training in gender and development planning and budgeting at Miriam College.
Shaping the next generation
Santiago’s appointment places her in charge of a central part of PMA’s mission, preparing cadets to become officers capable of leading soldiers, exercising sound judgment, and fulfilling their responsibilities to the country.
PMA Superintendent Lieutenant General Michael Logico, who presided over the ceremony, expressed confidence in her ability to take on the role, citing the demands that future military leaders will face.
“As Commandant of Cadets, she will have the responsibility of helping shape the character, competence, and leadership of the next generation of officers,” he said.
“She will help prepare them not only to meet the demands of today’s operational environment, but also face the challenges of a future we cannot fully predict. That is tremendous responsibility. And I have every confidence that she is prepared to meet it.”
For Santiago, the assignment brings her back to an institution where she once endured the rigorous training and pressures now facing the cadets under her command.
In her remarks, Santiago committed to developing officers guided by integrity, professional competence, and dedication to duty.
“Remember, you are not here merely to earn a degree or a commission. You are here to prepare yourselves for the responsibility of leading soldiers and defending our Republic,” she told the cadets.
She also stressed that military leaders are not expected to be perfect.
“I do not expect you to be perfect. I expect you to be honest about your weaknesses, receptive to correction, and determined to improve.”
She reminded the cadets that, despite her rank, accomplishments, and years of military service, she had once stood where they stand today. – Rappler.com