The English Language Course (ELC) participants set off for their Northern Luzon Cultural Tour where they visited Vigan City, San Juan, and Baguio City from 21 to 24 September 2022. The participants were given a chance to explore the City of Vigan, which is considered a UNESCO World Heritage City in Ilocos Sur, La Union, particularly the town of San Juan, which is the surfing capital of the North, and Baguio City, where the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) is situated. The delegation also visited museums, heritage sites, and other relevant tourist spots.

During the tour, the participants had the chance to make courtesy visits to Hon. Jeremias C. Singson, Governor of Ilocos Sur, Hon. Raphaelle Veronica Ortega-David, Governor of La Union, and Hon. Alfredo Pablo R. Ortega, City Vice Mayor of San Fernando, La Union. They were also accompanied by Lieutenant General Ferdinand M. Cartujano PAF (Ret), the NDCP President, in their visit to the PMA, where they had a courtesy visit to Major General Rowen Tolentino PA, the PMA Superintendent. They were given a command briefing and tour of the academy.

Since July 2022, the National Defense College of the Philippines (NDCP) has been conducting the ELC 2022—a program initiated by the Philippines as part of the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM)-Wide Education and Training Exchanges (AETE) Program, to military officers and civilian employees from five (5) Southeast Asian countries, namely Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, and Thailand. As part of the course, cultural tours are organized for the participants to allow them to practice their English language skills in interacting with the people around them and introduce the country’s culture and heritage to them.