Say Yes for the Future

The first ROTC unit was established with the Department of Military Science and Tactics at the University of the Philippines on July 3, 1922. Subsequently, other universities and colleges like the National University, Ateneo de Manila, Liceo de Manila and the Colegio de San Juan de Letran followed suit and formed their own units. But ROTC would only become mandatory after 13 years when President Manuel Quezon signed Commonwealth Act 1, also known as the National Defense Act of 1935.

ROTC made its most controversial past in 2001 when a student of the University of Santo Tomas filed a formal complaint against his superiors exposing heavy allegations of corruption in his ROTC unit. His lifeless body was seen floating in Pasig River on March 18, 2001.

The incident triggered student groups to held rallies and paved the way for the passage of Republic Act 9163 better known as the National Service Training Program Act of 2001 which was eventually signed into law on January 23, 2002.

President Bong Bong Marcos Jr. during his first State of the Nation Address (SONA), on July 25, called on Congress to pass a law that would reinstitute ROTC as a mandatory component of senior high school programs -- grades 11 and 12, in all public and tertiary level education institutions.

But can ROTC be beneficial to students? ROTC offers preparation to become an officer in the military, by participating in ROTC concurrently with your college education, you can enter the reserves or active duty forces with advanced ranking. Additionally, ROTC provides money for college tuition. Because of this, many students choose ROTC as a way to combine their sense of purpose and duty with a way to pay for their college education.

Moreover, ROTC is believed and seen to promote a culture of discipline and responsibility; provides opportunities to inculcate the values of patriotism, nationalism, and character-building; provides training that will develop students' leadership skills.

But the benefits of ROTC go beyond achieving an advanced military ranking or paying for college. The ROTC program provides world-class leadership development, valuable team-building, and networking opportunities. It also opens the door to specialized training with your local unit, if you’re interested in military life, the access to high-level training provided by ROTC is unparalleled.

According to Lt. General Romeo Brawner Jr., "This will provide the country with a trained and competent reserve force which is very important in the defense of our country." The mandatory ROTC can be beneficial to both students and the country. The program offers students training that can be used in their daily lives and allowances that can help them pay their student loans. This is beneficial to the country as well since the students will be part of the Armed forces of the Philippines Reservist and will help maintain peace and order in the country.

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Reference:

“A Legacy of Leadership: The U.P. ROTC History.” University of the Philippines Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, www.uprotc.org/about/history/.