Mandatory Implementation of Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) on Highschool

Students

Despite numerous substantial crises that are needed to be addressed and solved, the

government took the other path. It seems like implementation of ROTC is the best solution for

them— which is questionable.

The Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) is tasked to train and develop college

students in the rudiments of Military Service in order to produce capable Armed Forces of the

Philippines reservists. Unfortunately, implementing this on high school students serve a lot of

disadvantages.

The ROTC program has its foundation rooted in severe corruption. The program is nothing

but a huge money-making industry thriving at the expense of the students. It is a major source of

corruption and malpractice done by unscrupulous groups and protectors of this venal program. A

UST student, Chua was allegedly killed by fellow ROTC officers for exposing corruption in the

program. His death paved the way for legislation that made military training optional in higher

education.

ROTC programs can lead to stress for students, trying to balance academics, work, and

other activities. The ROTC takes 6 hours per week for 15 straight weeks. It consumes a lot of time.

Some students cannot afford the requirements like uniforms, and the fare to go to the location.

Mandatory ROTC forces students to participate against their will. Mandatory ROTC takes their

freedom to choose, whether to participate or not.

This program (ROTC) is exposing more harassment and removes the freedom of students

to choose and decide how they want to render their civil service to the country.

For many years, ROTC was not an only a manipulative avenue for our fascist government, but

also an abusive one. It has been a perpetrator of violence such as hazing and harassment. AFP
(Armed Forces of the Philippines) is using this program to implant student intelligence networks

that shadowed over student organizations that participated in activism and policed these practices,

thus challenging and restraining these students from exercising their academic freedom.

It does not instill nationalism among the youth. It is worth noting that while the ROTC

provides adequate military training and national defense preparedness, nothing good emanates

from abuse disguised as discipline. There is no room for learning in an environment that uses

authority to justify violence. Making ROTC mandatory again is not tantamount to instilling

nationalism in the Filipino youth. In contrast, ROTC has led to countless cases of corruption and

violations of students’ rights. The notion that ROTC is the answer to instilling nationalism among

the youth only narrows down the meaningful purpose of “love of one’s country” as being able to

defend the nation by surviving the heat of the sun or learning to take up arms.

These are just few statements of why mandatory ROTC shouldn’t be implemented in

highschool students, it is highly unnecessary. The government should focus more on the important

problem that needs a proper, and fast solution.

 References

Collao, B. A. (2022, November 21). Implementing Guidelines on NSTP-ROTC Component. U.P. ROTC Open Distance E-
Learning. https://www.uprotc.org/legal/implementing-guidelines-on-nstp-rotc-component/

Flores, S. (2022, November 4). Mandatory ROTC: A Key to Nationalism? UNIVERSITAS.

https://universitas.uap.asia/articles/mandatory-rotc-a-key-to-nationalism/

Uson, D. (2014, July 6). Hazing charges filed against ROTC corps commander, COCC program suspended. TheLasallian.
https://thelasallian.com/2014/07/06/hazing-charges-filed-against-rotc-corps-commander-cocc-program-
suspended/