PROPONENTS of the return of Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC), particularly Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, believe they can pass the mandatory ROTC bill within the year, although the issue of whether the youth — who are the ones to be directly impacted by the proposal — welcome or reject the idea.
From what they know of the bill, those who fail to complete the ROTC training would not be able to graduate and that females are not exempted from the coverage of the proposed law.
The Social Weather Stations (SWS) maintains that according to its survey, more Filipinos prefer an optional ROTC. In a survey weeks back, some 42 percent said ROTC should be optional and that students should be able to choose between ROTC or community service, while 22 percent said ROTC should not be in the curriculum of the students at all. Although it was initially planned to be included in senior high school, proponents later agreed to push for the return of mandatory ROTC in college.
‘Navy reservists, with more advanced military training, should be in a better position to do this job.’
Dela Rosa’s optimism comes from his belief that “84 percent of Filipino youths with ages ranging from 18 to 24 favor the mandatory ROTC bill.” Proponents like Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said the ROTC program aims to teach the youth about discipline and love of country through military training. They will also learn about leadership and patriotism, respect for human rights, environmental preservation, personality and moral development, and disaster preparedness.
Some of those who oppose ROTC say that it only leads to bad experiences such as hazing, abuse, harassment, and corruption in schools, as cadets would just bribe their way through ROTC, with their commandants lining their pockets.
Around 2 million will be added every year to the Armed Forces’ reserve force once ROTC becomes mandatory, according to Maj. Gen. Joel Alejandro Nacnac, deputy chief of staff for reservists and retiree affairs of the AFP.
According to Nacnac, the projected servicemen from the ROTC program will be classified as part of the “standby reserve” forces, who may be mobilized or ordered to active duty in times of national emergency or war.
They are different from the “ready reserve” who may be called at any time to augment the military’s regular armed force “not only in times of war or national emergency but also to meet local emergencies arising from calamities, disasters and threats to peace, order, security and stability in any locality.”
As of June, the AFP reserve force was estimated at 1.2 million, composed of 71,000 ready reservists, 1.1 million standby reservists, and over 15,000 affiliated units from other organizations.
Maj. Gen. Joseph Ferrous Cuison, head of the Philippine Naval Reserve Command, said they were employing the assistance of Philippine Navy affiliated reserve unit, composed of crew from fishing and shipping companies, in monitoring the West Philippine Sea and somewhat neutralizing the presence of the maritime militia of China.
Navy reservists, with more advanced military training, should be in a better position to do this job. It is just one more compelling reason in pushing the mandatory ROTC program.
