‘… I just feel very strongly that the objections to the ROTC program are driven more by ideological bias than by anything else.’
I HAD an interesting chat yesterday with Navy officers, who proudly told me of the missions they undertake in defense of our territory and national sovereignty. Some of what we discussed were matters confidential in nature so I cannot detail them here — but the discussions left me with a number of insights, one of which is the ROTC program.
I went through the ROTC program in my first two years in college at UP, signing up for the Rayadillo (honor) battalion. Not only that: I and about 50 other UP High classmates joined and completed the NCO program, and thus we were sergeants who were in charge of our platoons within the companies of our specific battalions, of which there were three: Rayadillo, then the red-berets of Battery, and the regular battalion.
Yes, we were those who marched around campus on Saturdays, had our hair trimmed short, and made sure we answered with a “Sir, yes sir” when asked a question or told to do something.
Our boots had to be shined, our buckles sparkling — we were the perfect candidates for transformation into rightist war freaks.
Except that that transformation didn’t happen. We remained normal free thinking UP students who just got darker skin, some for good.
If my opinion had any weight, I’d come down on the side of the argument in favor of reconstituting the ROTC program as a compulsory program in college.
And CAT for grades 9 and 10.
I am aware that critics say that going through ROTC (even CAT) does not make you a better soldier, or a more patriotic Filipino. That’s true. But I do feel that going through it gives you a taste of what discipline means — and also a better understanding of what it means to suit up for your country. This last point is something that is very lacking in the Philippines. So much so that I envy the moments I’ve seen in the US where, for example, travelers in airports applaud the men and women in uniform who they know put their lives at risk in defense of America’s interests.
Maybe we can do one better than what we went through in the 1980s — maybe the training can be similar to what Singaporeans go through. Real serious training that takes young men and women out of the comfort of their homes and into the harsh conditions of mountains and valleys and marshes. With no exceptions, even for (especially for!) children of politicians.
Have I become a right-wing militarist in my old age? Ha-ha. Far from it. But I just feel very strongly that the objections to the ROTC program are driven more by ideological bias than by anything else.
If I were a freshman in college all over again, I’d go through ROTC all over again. Hopefully with the same UP High classmates who made the experience worth it all!