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<img src="https://cdn.kahimyang.com/resources-25/pma-melchor-hall.avif" alt="Philippine Military Academy" loading="lazy" />
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<h3>
Early Beginnings: Colonial Roots
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<p>
The PMA's history traces back to October 25, 1898, when General <a href="https://kahimyang.com/kauswagan/articles/1028/today-in-philippine-history-march-22-1869-emilio-aguinaldo-was-born-in-kawit-cavite" class="news_link">Emilio Aguinaldo</a>, the first president of the Philippine Republic, decreed the establishment of the <a href="https://kahimyang.com/kauswagan/articles/1318/today-in-philippine-history-october-25-1898-the-academia-militar-was-established-in-malolos-bulacan-by-general-emilio-aguinaldo" class="news_link">Academia Militar</a> in <a href="https://kahimyang.com/articles/3151/the-history-of-malolos-bulacan-cradle-of-the-first-philippine-republic" class="news_link">Malolos, Bulacan</a>. This early institution aimed to train officers for the nascent republic but was short-lived, closing on January 20, 1899, due to the outbreak of the Philippine–American War, as hostilities between Filipinos and Americans escalated.
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<p>
During the American colonial period, the need for a professional military force led to the creation of the Officer's School of the Philippine Constabulary on February 17, 1905, initially located in <a href="https://kahimyang.com/articles/3008/the-history-of-intramuros-the-walled-city-manila" class="news_link">Intramuros, Manila</a>. This school was relocated to <a href="https://kahimyang.com/kauswagan/articles/560/today-in-philippine-history-september-1-1909-baguio-was-declared-a-chartered-city" class="news_link">Baguio City</a> on September 1, 1908, first at Camp Henry T. Allen and later at Teacher's Camp, leveraging the city's strategic location and cooler climate. On September 8, 1926, it was renamed the Philippine Constabulary Academy through Act No. 3496, extending the training course to three years, marking a significant step toward structured military education.
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The History of the Philippine Military Academy