Here in the UK, being denied an examination for invalid reasons would cause chaos and fury. Many would protest and fight for their rights. But what if this right was never fulfilled?
The Philippine Military Academy (PMA) is the catalyst for many people, mostly men’s, careers, leaving with a completely free four year degree.
It’s no wonder that those who are accepted are put under rigorous physical and written examinations, considering the 5% acceptance rate in 2024 (GMA News Online).
This prestigious military school guaranteed graduates the place of an officer in the Philippines once their 4 years was over, and many continued their line of work in whichever branch they started out in.
Over the next ~40 years, countless of these officers manage to be promoted to generals and lieutenants, wielding much power and influence among the general public.
Even after the forced retirement from the military at 56, numerous people manage to work their way into politics, their influence holding great importance in their new-found career.
In brief, graduating from PMA allows many to live a successful life in the Philippines, all paid for by the government.
Lucena, Quezon, is a city only 81 miles away from Manila, Philippines.
In March of 1987, many young men, freshly graduated from high school, were awaiting the beginning of what could be the rest of their lives.
Before any written examination could be taken, they had to be intensely scrutinised over many of their physical attributes: height, weight, vision, teeth, etc...
After all these rigorous inspections, a large proportion of the candidates were harshly ruled out and sent home.
The small number of contenders who were left were then split up by surname, A-N in one room, whilst M-Z were in another.
Sitting down in the colossal, echoey room, the M-Z group were swiftly handed out their exam papers.
Only a short time after the exam started, one of the intense invigilators noticed an empty chair.
Immediately concerned, he began to berate the other applicants into this mysterious disappearance, demanding to know where he went, and more importantly, where his exam paper went.
As it turns out, that young man had ‘gone to the toilet,’ taking his exam paper with him, then promptly left the building.
Due to this disturbance, all of the other candidates were briskly escorted out of the examination hall, fearing malpractice among the other test-takers.
However, the other room of A-N surnames were allowed to continue.
Despite pleas for another opportunity to take the test, these young men were refused.
To make matters worse, only fresh high school graduates may apply, meaning they were not allowed to simply retake it the next year.
Many people from Quezon were denied the opportunity of a lifetime, leading their lives on a completely different path than what they would have originally planned.
It is so crucial to recall events like this in history as it reminds us that we must fight for our own rights, especially when it comes to our future, our education, and our freedom.
