The chief executive officer of this highly-urbanized city has expressed his support to the revival of the Reserved Officer Training Corps (ROTC) as part of instilling patriotism and discipline.
In an interview Monday, Mayor Jerry Treñas said he also went through the Citizens Army Training (CAT) in high school and ROTC in college and “did not find anything wrong with it”.
“I have nothing against that. It will give children a chance to have military training,” he said.
Treñas said should the proposal be approved, ROTC cadets can even help in civic duties such as the city’s cleanup and tree planting activities.
“They help us in disaster and provide additional manpower during festivals,” he said.
The House of Representatives has passed House Bill 8961, or the proposed ROTC Act, calling for the mandatory ROTC in senior high school in both public and private education institutions.
The ROTC training aims to instill patriotism, discipline, moral and spiritual virtues, respect for human rights, and adherence to the Constitution.
On Dec. 5, around 2,500 ROTC cadets from selected colleges and universities and uniformed personnel in the country will attend a summit in Quirino Grandstand to celebrate and drum up support for the ROTC.
The event is being organized by the Office of the President through the Presidential Management Staff (PMS) and Presidential Security Group, in coordination with the Department of National Defense and the AFP through the Office of the Reservist and Retiree Affairs (OJ9).
The activity will feature the silent drill competition from among the best in the Philippine Military Academy (PMA), Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA), Philippine Merchant Marine Academy (PMMA), Maritime Academy of Asia and the Pacific (MAAP), Philippine Army Officer Candidate School (PAOCS), Philippine Navy Officer Candidate School (PNOCS), and Philippine Air Force Officer Candidate School (PAFOCS).
The units are vying for the top prize of PHP300,000; the second placer will receive PHP200,000, and the third will get PHP100,000.
A PHP50,000 consolation prize will be given for each of the four other units. (PNA)