Mandatory tertiary students’ ROTC sought
He said the program will require tertiary students to undergo basic military and leadership training
Daily TribuneHe said the program will require tertiary students to undergo basic military and leadership training
Senator Win Gatchalian
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian stressed on Monday that the mandatory Basic Reserve Officers' Training Corps Program at the tertiary level could provide a "substantial number" of human resources during trying times in the country.
This, as the senator filed Senate Bill 1551 which seeks to re-institutionalize the two-year mandatory Basic ROTC Program and the two-year voluntary Advance ROTC Program covering all students enrolled in any undergraduate degree, diploma, or certificate program in all public and private universities, colleges, vocational schools, and other tertiary educational institutions.
He said the program will require tertiary students to undergo basic military and leadership training.
"This is to enhance the capacity of the nation and expand its human resource in times of war, calamities, and disasters, and national or local emergencies," said the senator.
The Basic ROTC program will likewise cover civic training and enhanced preparedness during actual disaster response operations.
He pointed out that restoring Basic ROTC at the tertiary level "is more viable" than pushing for the Senior High School students "as it will be counterproductive."
The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic moved the lawmaker to withdraw his filing of the Senate Bill 387 or the Senior High School Reserve Officer Training Corps Act and the senator added that the cost implication of implementing Basic ROTC for Senior High School students must be "undesirable" as the country continues to grapple with and still to recover from the impacts of the pandemic.
To recall, the Department of Education and the Department of National Defense earlier estimated that implementing basic ROTC nationwide would cost P9.3 billion.
