Eight companies of the Cadet Corps Armed Forces of the Philippines (CCAFP) commenced the Order of March on October 8, 2026, at Fort General Gregorio H. Del Pilar in Baguio City, marking the start of preparations for the Bessang Pass Challenge 2026 — a two-day intercompany military skills competition scheduled for October 10 and 11, 2026.
The competition pits all eight cadet companies against one another in a series of events designed to assess military proficiency, physical endurance, tactical decision-making, and leadership under sustained pressure, according to the Philippine Military Academy (PMA).
Thirteen Events Across Combat, Navigation, and Fitness Disciplines
Participating upper class cadets will compete across 13 structured events spanning a wide range of military competencies. The full list of events, as released by the PMA, includes:
- Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC)
- Communications
- Weapons
- Grenade Assault Course
- Functional Fitness Test
- Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) operations
- Indoor Obstacle Course
- Pistol Marksmanship
- Rucksack March
- Land Navigation
- Night Navigation
- Crucible
- Rifle Marksmanship
The breadth of these events reflects the PMA's aim to evaluate cadets not only on individual combat skills but also on their capacity to operate under physically and mentally demanding conditions across multiple domains.
Unit Cohesion and Collective Performance Under Scrutiny
Beyond individual scores, the Bessang Pass Challenge is structured to assess each company as a collective unit. According to the PMA, cadets must demonstrate their ability to coordinate effectively, make sound tactical decisions, and accomplish assigned tasks under stress — skills directly aligned with the responsibilities of commissioned officers in the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
The competition framework emphasizes teamwork and organizational performance alongside personal military readiness, treating company-level cohesion as a measurable and scored component of the overall challenge.
PMA Frames Competition as Officer Development Tool
The PMA described the Bessang Pass Challenge as a deliberate mechanism for developing well-rounded military leaders. In its official release, the Academy stated that the competition aims to produce officers who possess "the competence, physical readiness, and character necessary to lead personnel and accomplish missions across the Armed Forces of the Philippines."
The challenge serves as a competitive environment where cadets apply training received in the classroom and field, with the added pressure of intercompany rivalry reinforcing the standards expected at commissioning.
By the Numbers
- 8 — cadet companies competing in the challenge
- 13 — total events in the competition
- 2 — competition days (October 10–11, 2026)
- October 8, 2026 — date of the preliminary Order of March activity at Fort Del Pilar
Why This Matters
The Bessang Pass Challenge is one of the PMA's flagship intercompany competitions, directly shaping how future AFP officers are evaluated on combat readiness, leadership, and unit performance before commissioning. With 13 events spanning marksmanship, navigation, casualty care, and CBRN operations, the competition tests the full spectrum of skills required of frontline military leaders. The results will reflect each company's training quality and collective discipline ahead of graduation cycles within the Cadet Corps.
Photo credit: Photo courtesy of Cadet Media Team