Mandatory ROTC

“K-12 pagkatapos, ROTC? Dalawang taon nanaman sasayangin ng mga estudyante

mag-training kaysa mag aral?”, my mom said. Is it necessary to conduct ROTC? How is it
beneficial to the students and the country? What are the disadvantages in implementing this
program? Most importantly, why is it abolished? These are the questions that this paper will
deliberate about as to why mandatory ROTC should not be implemented.

According to president Bongbong Marcos Jr in his 2022 State Of the Nation Address,
“Mandatory Reserve Officers' Training Corps and National Service Training Program seeks to
reinstitute the ROTC program as a mandatory component of senior high school programs grades
11 and 12 in all public and private tertiary level educational institutions. The aim is to motivate,
train, organize, and mobilize students for national defense preparedness, including disaster
preparedness, and capacity building for risk-related situations.” Pertaining to this, ROTC is
indeed beneficial for students to gain knowledge and have the necessary skills for defense and
disaster preparedness. However, should the government really focus in imposing this program
instead of the current educational crisis the country faces? Recently, Philippines scored
LOWEST in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) test, indicating less
than average scores among 15-year old students in mathematics, reading, and science. This issue
not only refer about the educational crisis we face but also the reason behind it. One main reason
is poverty. If many Filipinos can’t have the capacity to study well because of poverty, what more
when it is necessary to buy uniform and combat boots for ROTC? Do schools have the capacity
to provide facilities, equipment, barracks, and offices for officers? Because if not, it will result to
a significant increase in tuition fees that will be a burden to parents and students. Not to mention
that college students are already struggling financially and mentally. Another problem is
execution. Are we really sure that the implementation of this program will ensure the safety of
the students from bribery, abuse, violence, corruption, and extortion? If not, history will repeat
itself. Mark Welson Chua, a ROTC Cadet from UST was found dead in March 18, 2001 in Pasig
River after exposing practices of corruption, bribery, and extortion of UST ROTC unit to the
Varsitarian. This is the very reason why mandatory ROTC was abolished.

ROTC MUST BE VOLUNTARY. Government must focus in other issues and crisis our
country faces. This includes educational and economic crisis, corruption, poverty, inflation,
climate change, environmental degradation, mounting debt, and territory relations. Let students
be free to choose what they want. Focus on their goals. Hindi militarisasyon ang sagot sa krisis
ng edukasyon. Ang edukasyon ay dapat na malaya at mapagpalaya.
Issue (Background):
According to president Bongbong Marcos Jr in his 2022 State Of the Nation Address,
“Mandatory Reserve Officers' Training Corps and National Service Training Program seeks to
reinstitute the ROTC program as a mandatory component of senior high school programs grades
11 and 12 in all public and private tertiary level educational institutions. The aim is to motivate,
train, organize, and mobilize students for national defense preparedness, including disaster
preparedness, and capacity building for risk-related situations.” Pertaining to this, ROTC is
indeed beneficial for students to gain knowledge and have the necessary skills for defense and
disaster preparedness. This bill was passed by Senator Robin Padilla on July 7, 2022, seeking to
“reinstate the ROTC program as a mandatory requirement in the curriculum of all undergraduate
degree or diploma programs in public and private tertiary-level education institutions in the
country. The restoration of the ROTC program will arm our youth with the competence and
readiness required in serving our country to ensure the security of the State and our people.”

Thesis:
Making ROTC mandatory is a form of taking away academic freedom from students. The
government should focus on other pressing issues like educational and economic crisis,
corruption, poverty, inflation, climate change, environmental degradation, mounting debt, and
territory relations, that our country faces.
Arguments:
Recently, Philippines scored LOWEST in the Programme for International Student
Assessment (PISA) test, indicating less than average scores among 15-year old students in
mathematics, reading, and science. This issue not only refer about the educational crisis we face
but also the reason behind it. One main reason is poverty. If many Filipinos can’t have the
capacity to study well because of poverty, what more when it is necessary to buy uniform and
combat boots for ROTC? Do schools have the capacity to provide facilities, equipment, barracks,
and offices for officers? Because if not, it will result to a significant increase in tuition fees that
will be a burden to parents and students. Not to mention that college students are already
struggling financially and mentally. Another problem is execution. Are we really sure that the
implementation of this program will ensure the safety of the students from bribery, abuse,
violence, corruption, and extortion? If not, history will repeat itself. Mark Welson Chua, a ROTC
Cadet from UST was found dead in March 18, 2001 in Pasig River after exposing practices of
corruption, bribery, and extortion of UST ROTC unit to the Varsitarian. This is the very reason
why mandatory ROTC was abolished.
Counterarguments:
According to the purpose of this program stated by the President Bongbong Marcos Jr.
and Senator Robinhood Padilla, mandatory ROTC seeks to equip students to be ready for
disaster preparedness and national security. This program will also discipline and provide
students with the necessary skills and knowledge that will be helpful in the future.
 While these arguments are valid. Mandatory ROTC in this day and age is not the efficient
way to be ready for national defense and disaster preparedness. The government should rather
divert our resources to the military by modernizing and improving their facilities and
equipments. For disaster preparedness? Instead of mandatory ROTC why don’t the government
create a better disaster risk reduction and management plan to prevent and mitigate hazards and
disasters? Fix the concerns regarding the environment for our country to be ready for the
upcoming typhoons and other disasters. Lastly, ROTC is not the way to discipline students. It
starts within our home and their parents. Our curriculum contains subjects and lessons regarding
character development for a reason. Mandatory ROTC is not a one-time pick to solve our
country’s problems. It does not provide certain safety for our students. It is not an idea that the
government should focus on.
Conclusion:
“K-12 pagkatapos, ROTC? Dalawang taon nanaman sasayangin ng mga estudyante
mag-training kaysa mag aral?”, my mom said. ROTC MUST BE VOLUNTARY. Government
must focus in other issues and crisis our country faces. Let students be free to choose what they
want. Focus on their goals. We must not waste two years of our life in another unplanned
program the government push to us.
“Hindi militarisasyon ang sagot sa krisis ng edukasyon. Ang edukasyon ay dapat na malaya at
mapagpalaya.”
References:
 ABS-CBN News. (2022, July 26). Marcos pushes for return of mandatory ROTC.
https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/07/25/22/marcos-pushes-for-return-of-mandatory-rotc
 Servallos, N. J. (2023, December 6). Student assessment: Philippines still in bottom 10.
Philstar.com. https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2023/12/06/2316752/student-
assessment-philippines-still-bottom-10/amp/
 Baron, G. (2021, March 19). Remembering Mark Welson Chua. Manila Bulletin.
https://mb.com.ph/2021/03/18/remembering-mark-welson-chua/
 Mandatory ROTC Act, S.B. 236, 19th Cong. (2022, July 7).
http://legacy.senate.gov.ph/lisdata/3794834391!.pdf