Ferdinand Cartujano

Lieutenant General Ferdinand Mendez Cartujano is a Filipino Air Force General who currently serves as the 82nd and incumbent Superintendent of the Philippine Military Academy since 16 November 2020. Prior to his position, he served as the commander of the Air Force Education, Training and Doctrine Command.

On 16 November 2020, he took command as the 82nd Superintendent of the Philippine Military Academy, replacing Vice Admiral Allan Ferdinand V. Cusi, who reached the mandatory retirement age of 56. As PMA Superintendent, he vowed to continue creating reforms from his predecessor to completely remove hazing and maltreatment within the academy. He was also promoted to Lieutenant General in January 2021 and was confirmed for promotion on his post by the Commission on Appointments on 24 March 2021.

He has accumulated a total of more than 5,000 flying hours, primarily on helicopters like the Bell UH-1H Hueys, the Bell 205A search and rescue helicopters and the Sikorsky S-76A air ambulances. He also served at administrative positions in the PAF and in the PMA, such as in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans (OJ-5), the Office of the Assistant Chief of Air Staff for Operations, Organization & Training (OA-3), the Air Force Management and Fiscal Office, the Office of the Air Force Adjutant General, and as the Chief of Division Staff of 1st Air Division. He also became the Group Commander of the 505th Search and Rescue Group and served as the Deputy Wing Commander of 600th Air Base Wing. He became the Chief of Academy Staff of the PMA in 2016, before being named as the Assistant Superintendent of the PMA in 2017. He became the Deputy Commander of the Air Force Education, Training and Doctrine Command on 2018, before being named as its Commander on 17 September 2019, where he was also promoted to Major General.

He was born at San Miguel, Bulacan on 26 June 1966, and grew up at Roxas City in Capiz. He entered the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) in 1984, and graduated as a member of the PMA Maringal Class of 1988. He also entered various courses locally and abroad, such as the PAF Flying School at Basilio Fernando Air Base in 1990, where he finished his course with "flying colors"; the Squadron Officers Course, where he graduated Number 2 in his class; the AFP Logistics Officers Integrated Course, graduating Number 1 in his class; the Air Intelligence Officers’ Course, where he also graduated at the top of his class; the AFP Financial Management Course, finishing at Number 3 of his class; the Australian Command General Staff Course at the Australian Defence College in Canberra, Australia, the Senior Executive Course in National Security Class 10 at the National Defense College of the Philippines (NDCP); the Defense Resource Management Seminar and the Regional Seminar-Workshop on Transparency and Conventional Arms in the United Nation Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) Headquarters in Bangkok, Thailand. He also holds a master's degree in Defense Studies (MDS) at the University of Canberra and a master's degree in Business Economics (MBE) at the University of Asia and the Pacific in Mandaluyong City.