Defense Secretary Delfin N. Lorenzana called on reservists and alumni of the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) to harmonize all efforts to strengthen the reservist program of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

He issued the call at the first-ever ROTC Alumni Fellowship Night on 14 August 2018 at the Commissioned Officers Club at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.

The event was attended by the alumni associations of the different schools and organized by the National ROTC Alumni Association, the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Reservist and Retiree Affairs, OJ9 of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Human Resource and Department of National Defense.

In his speech, Lorenzana enjoined ROTC alumni leaders to use such events not just to network and reminisce with fellow alumni but also to unite in support of the DND’s legislative initiatives for national defense and security.

He particularly cited the proposed reinstatement of the ROTC as a mandatory program for senior high schools.

He also informed the ROTC community that at the second Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council Meeting held on 13 August, President Duterte urged Cabinet members to include the ROTC Act in the priority bills for submission before the end of the 17th Session at the House of Representatives.

Lorenzana also bared efforts to revive the program with the implementation of the Advanced Citizen Training Program in 100 pilot senior high schools all over the Philippines in the coming school year.

The program aims to introduce the concept of ROTC to senior high students of the current K-12 program as only six out of 10 senior high school graduates are able to pursue tertiary education.