MANILA, Oct. 26 -- The Philippine Military Academy (PMA) must fast-track its transformation into a "future-ready" institution capable of producing leaders for a modernized defense force.

In a news release over the weekend, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. underscored the role of the country's premier military school in adapting to rapid technological shifts and regional security challenges.

"We heard the initiatives that the PMA is undertaking to keep in step with the needs of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the defense establishment, with due regard to advances in technology and the evolving geopolitical landscape," he said in his keynote address during the PMA'S 127th founding anniversary celebration on Friday.

Teodoro ...