REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

In accordance with the Revised CAT and CMT Program of Instructions issued

last August 1983 by the GHQ of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the MECS

shall be responsible for the implementation of the Citizen Army Training (CAT) in

high schools. Part of the extensive training of the Citizenship Advancement

Training aspiring officers is the completion of Students Leadership Training

Program (SLTP) for Grade 9.

According to Binjabi (2012) defines disciplines as a means to bring control,

train to obedience and order or drill. Cotton (2000) defines school discipline as a

form of discipline appropriate to the regulation of children and the maintenance of

order in the school. However, in this study, discipline conceptualize as the

observance of school rules and regulations, time management and

administration of punishments. Laurens (2014), discipline is the action by

management to enforce organizational standards.

The Citizenship Advancement Training deals with the exposure to basic

knowledge, unfamiliar situations, and experiences as well as activities related to

military. This activities in general helps for the betterment of life of members of

the community, encompasses all programs and activities which are contributory

for maintenance of peace and order and enhancement of public safety. The

training is requirement for graduation for all Grade 10 students in both public and

private secondary schools.

 Students have impeded the educational process through severe behaviour

infractions warranting disciplinary responses. In an attempt to rectify the

imbalances, DepEd implemented the CAT Mandatory Program to strengthen

student’s character and discipline. This DepEd hereby reiterates the

implementation of the DepEd Order No. 50, s. 2005 entitled “Revised

Implementing Guidelines on the Implementation of Citizenship Advancement

Training (CAT) in both Public and Private School.” In order to ensure the effective

implementation of the Citizenship Advancement Training (CAT) in both Public and

Private Secondary Schools, the Regional and Division MAPEH Supervisors are

strongly advice to monitor its implementation and ensure that the guidelines are

strictly complied with the order. Citizenship Advancement Training (CAT) is

restructuring of the Citizens Army Training, and is a component of Makabayan,

separate from MAPEH in the Fourth Year. It aims to enhance the students’ social

responsibility and commitment to the development of their communities and

develop their ability to uphold law and order as they assume active participation

in community activities and in assisting the members of the community especially

in times of emergency.

Citizenship Advancement Training, as initiated throughout the years, is

primarily a national service program with originally being a purely militaristic in

orientation where it involves military marches, drills and even proper decorum

with regards in aspects of following orders of the superiors, executing orders, and
providing the basics in military orientation. Such aspects was tamed down

eventually with community service and other "society-contributing" factors coming

in as part of the restructuring of that program alongside ROTC went from being

mandatory to voluntary, a branch within National Service Training Program or

NSTP.

This program was originally created with primary national service in mind

wherein from there, training goes with learning the attributes of what it really

means to love the country in the close, military-and-defense aspect or ideology

that not all of the students share. Hence, its restructuring provides the better idea

of national service where, there are other ways on helping the nation without

doing the necessary military training unless if it is done voluntarily. Moreover, the

learning that are being embodied in the new program is being emphasized with

orientation on basic military knowledge makes it much more interesting than

providing the drills where, although helpful and aesthetic enough on its own

worth, does not suffice the needs for learning especially if a student does not

want to enlist in the near future.

Therefore, the present sense of national service covers various aspects

which are up to the students' taking, where the definition of these abbreviations

C.A.T. now loosely correlates to its past that was being a "Citizen Army".

Nevertheless, the Voluntary aspects of ROTC in college is still there to cover up

the void, where aspirants are still taking the chance to enter and eventually, to

enlist. As for the men and women that were once students of the past and some
of the present, joining up the Citizen Army Training or Citizenship Advancement

Training is the gateway for understanding the basics of what it means serve the

country, either it be militaristic or not.

The design of civic education involves making choices about the kind of

citizens we hopeyoung people become, and the instruction we think such citizens

need (Westheimer andKahne 2004). Citizenship itself is not an unchanging set of

activities and attitudes(Schudson 1998), and civic education must evolve to suit

the needs of young citizens andthe social, political, and communication worlds

they inhabit. This essay proposes a view ofthe current civic education landscape

in terms of recent changes in citizen identity, andoffers an updated set of civic

learning guidelines to enable both schools and online civiclearning environments

to better reach young citizens.We begin by looking at recent shifts in citizen

identity, which lead us to the conclusionthat today’s young citizens may approach

their civic engagement and learning verydifferently from their parents and

teachers. Using this perspective, we review recentstudies of civic learning in

schools, and point to findings suggesting that civic identity andlearning shifts can

help explain civic education successes and failures.Despite the checkered record

of school-based civic learning, this review gives us asolid foundation on which to

build a broader framework for civic learning that combines traditional learning

goals with learning goals more reflective of younger citizens’ civicidentity and

learning styles.
 CAT stands for Citizenship Advancement Training. By the name itself, you

could already get an idea of what it’s about – involvement in public and civic

affairs. And according to the 1987 Constitution (Article II, Sec. 13), it recognizes

the vital role of the youth in the society which shall promote their physical, moral,

spiritual, intellectual, and social well-being.

Going back to CAT, the author have read on Slideshare.net that there are

three components of it. Firstly, the “Military Orientation” that deals with the

introduction and exposure of the learner to basic knowledge, unfamiliar situations

and experiences as well as activities related to military. Secondly, it’s speaks of a

“Community Service” that he’s well-aware of. Activities like this helps achieve the

general welfare and the betterment of life of the members of the community. And

lastly, the “Public Safety & Law Enforcement Service” which encompasses all

programs and activities which are contributory to the maintenance of peace and

order, public safety, observance of and compliance to laws.

During Bennet’s research, he found an interesting book that could be

considered the CAT’s Bible, or book of laws. He read starting off with the cadet’s

philosophy, “Stand and deliver. Don’t quit. Perfect practice makes perfect.

Respect is not given but earned. Attitude is a small thing but it makes a

difference. He, who lives without discipline, dies without dignity.” Funny, this gives

me a rather different picture of the CAT, or rather, the CAT officers. So this is how

they are supposed to act? Well, he seldom see it here in our school. With that, he
said, it’s something that people should take seriously, and not just join in because

of the motive of fame or abuse of power.

When you’ve already started it, you have no right to quit no matter what the

circumstances are. When joining something that requires discipline, you have no

right to complain. In the first place, why have you joined something like this if

you’re not at all capable? Everything else that goes with it, you must be stable

even under pressure. In other words, finish what you’ve started. He knows

everything is not perfect, but I think “they” could still make a difference.

CAT is somewhat like martial arts; it’s an art of discipline and combat. One

point of this matter is that you should obey first before you complain, or don’t

complain at all. The fault of one is the fault of all – that is called camaraderie.

Also, your “buddy” is your body so if it’s not for the good of all, you should not

sacrifice yourself. Virtues like integrity, loyalty, and service can be learned

through CAT, but it takes a lot of good moral and character to become a true CAT

graduate.

Sadly, even if training’s such as this are well put up or established, some still

take advantage of their positions and their “uniforms” with their “so-called”

badges and ranks. He’s not saying all of “them”, but he’s just pertaining to a few

who gobbles up praise for doing nothing honorable for the organization. “They”

sometimes even destroy their bonds and trust by not applying their “Military
Secrecy: What you see, What you hear, When you leave, Leave it here.” Hard

core isn’t it?

The CAT is something he consider and say as something admirable,

honorable even. The problem is the people who run and are in the organization

that stain its image. Once you’ve taken the loyalty pledge, you’re not only

promising to the organization, your country, the people, but you’re also pledging

for a man in Heaven’s Name. The loyalty pledge states that you should not

condemn it. If you do, the first high wind that comes along will blow you away and

you will probably never know why. If that didn’t ring a bell or make sense to you,

you should better yet resign your position. You don’t deserve it. You have never

deserved it if that would be your case.

CAT emphasize citizenship training and the encouragement of youth to

contribute in the improvement of the general welcome and quality of life of the

community, instilling patriotism, morals, virtues, respect for the rights of civilians

and adherence to the constitution.

In addition, the program is designed to develop personal qualities and

attributes essential to successful leadership. It is intended to install the students’

appreciation and deep feeling for the spirit and the true meaning of the motto –

Honor, Loyalty, and Integrity.

 Considering that the country is affected by climate change, to reinstate and

make mandatory ROTC and CAT as a core academic subject in respective

educational institutions, is of overbearing consideration. Needless to stress, our

country being an archipelagic state, it will be critically affected by the slightest

effects of climate change. Able bodied people who are volunteers, and are willing

to suffer and do things for the country without compensations are priceless in

times of calamities, disasters and emergencies.

Abalos, M., Abitona, J., Alcantara, R., (2019). In Partial Fulfillment of the
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Bennett, L., (2009). Young citizens and civic learning: Two Paradigms of
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Orpiano, P., (2018). The Citizenship Advancement Training Program. Retrieved

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