Blind PatRIOTism

Using substandard construction materials as an alternative in building an infrastracture never meets

the average longevity of an infrastructure which is built with fully standard ones. Hence, forcing
something with its own characterization, purpose and limit to placements they do not fit in does pay off
destructive outcomes, may it show off at the beginning or on the later part of the process.

The Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) has been listed in the top prioritized bills of Duterte's
Administration in year 2017. Now, on his most recent State of the Nation Address (2019), he gave a solid
accentuation of the said bill to amend it as mandatory for public and private senior high schools
nationwide. It is designed to be augmented to that inclusiveness by the president beside the fact that he
has admitted publicly his negligence to conform unto the aforementioned bill himself as a student.
Subjectively, he wants the youth of today to bring back themselves to patriotism: which he defines as
joining in military training.

The Mandatory Reserve Officers' Corps for Grade 11 and 12 if passed, would be another country's
most risky attempts for the nation considering its approximate cost of about Php.38 billion anually as
estimated by the chairperson of the senate committee on basic education, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian,
would likely to hold colossal proportion of the Government Funding, as in the Free Tuition Law, but
unlike it, the bills hovers the contingency of uncertain success and enormous collapse.

Factually, the Mandatory Reserve Officers' Corps for Grade 11 and 12, as its dagger, is supported
with empirical ways of portraying patriotism, but what lies beneath it are the terrifying negative
possibilities it may branch out and replicate. The refusal of the bill's implementation and diversion to
other patriotistic practices satisfying the limits of every student is much safer for the whole country.

As to compare the academic performances of a senior high school student with immense torment
of physical activities outside school and another who allots full concentration on academic matters, the
second one would likely to stand out and eventually own that edge in proceeding to college education,
which is undeniably the actual climax of students' lives. As an addition, not eveyone can manage to
balance out a tired body and a driven mind; one may be so dedicated in processing and absorbing
information but the physical body does not cooperate and integrate with mind. Thus, resulting to
chances of poor cognitive is the most cataclysmic state of a country's education.

With the sole reason on partaking into military trainings because it is prerequisite does follow the
incompetence of students as repurcussion. Passionate people are the building blocks of a nation, not
those who are compelled.Where can effectiveness of a bill be found in incompetence? Spending billions
for uncertainty is an impuissant action. Students may have been undergone military, but what are the
assurances that they have been implanted with love of the country? Looking at other angle, they could
also use their honed skills from trainings to impede the will of government if they wanted to. It is like
the government get into the act of lottery betting even at adverse condition of vague chances of
winning.
 No patriotism is compelled. A progressive nation begins with youth flaunting their innate flag-
waving pride for the nation in multi-diverse ways rooted from passion. Indeed that sacrificing blood to
protect the nation is an utmost form of proving natonalism, but it is never a basis. Its underlying crux is
within every Filipino's heart showcased in various forms at its finest.

Giving focus on other practices to wake up the sleeping Filipino pride is a must-initial step, a
rudiment, before storming into some other extensive courses of decisions. This will be the spirit that
every Filipino will carry throughout the path they choose to focus on, with the common goal of the
country's betterment.