SM Prime Holdings Inc. (SMPH) is teaming up with the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) to build the Henry Sy Sr. Hall at Fort Del Pilar, a project set to expand the academy’s core training and communal facilities.
The new two-story building will house a multipurpose hall that can hold up to 2,500 people — perfect for training exercises, official gatherings, and indoor sports. It will also include office spaces and a 1.6-kilometer running track for cadet activities, all designed with Baguio’s typhoon-prone climate in mind. JSLA Architects crafted the project with durability and long-term use at the forefront.
For PMA Superintendent Vice Admiral Caesar Bernard Valencia, the partnership is about more than bricks and mortar. “PMA produces leaders anchored in honor, integrity, and selfless service — leaders of character,” he said. “This is the academy’s contribution to the nation, and SM Prime’s support only strengthens it.”
Valencia emphasized that the facilities will play a key role in shaping cadets’ discipline, resilience, and leadership under pressure. “The new mess hall and athletic oval aren’t just physical spaces — they’re where character is forged, teamwork is lived, and resilience is tested. These are qualities you can’t teach in a classroom alone.”
The project aligns with PMA’s broader transformation agenda, focused on holistic leadership formation. “This infrastructure inspires excellence and advances our vision for the academy,” Valencia said. He added that shared spaces like the mess hall cultivate unity and shared sacrifice, while the athletic oval hones the warrior ethos, pushing cadets to test limits and build resilience.
Valencia also highlighted SM Group’s long-standing commitment to education. “SM has consistently delivered world-class, technologically advanced facilities designed to last generations. Today, we are both humbled and proud that PMA will receive the same standard of excellence,” he said. “These facilities will serve not only today’s cadets but generations of future officers. It inspires us to always be better than yesterday.”