Vice President Sara Duterte discussed with the country's security sector ways to move forward with bringing back the mandatory Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) program. Mandatory ROTC and national training programs are part of the 18 priority legislations mentioned by President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. on July 25, during his first State of the Nation Address.
ROTC has been implemented since 1912 when the Philippine Constabulary arranged the first military training at the University of the Philippines. However, this arrangement was discontinued after World War 1. It proved useful in 1942 when Japan occupied the Philipines. However, after the war, resources were simply not enough to keep a large military group so the ROTC was canceled. The Program Act of 2001 allowed ROTC to be optional to those willing to join.
The reason for Duterte's pushing for mandatory ROTC has not been explicitly stated in interviews. However, other government officials have expressed their support of it. Commission on Higher Education Chairperson Prospero "Popoy" De Vera III highlights that it will instill the youth with training and discipline, while Senator Sherwin Gatchalian claims that it will be able to "provide students with additional skills for disaster and calamities response, and even in accidents." Some netizens speculate that she wants to follow in the footsteps of other countries that have mandatory military services such as South Korea, Russia, Iran and much more.
In response to this, several groups have raised their concerns against the planned mandatory ROTC program because it could be considered as an added burden. The program also faces legal issues, since it may violate the Optional Protocol to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which mandates that those under 18 years old should not be "compulsorily recruited into the armed forces."
However, what exactly does mandatory ROTC do for the country? It may be a great idea on paper to prepare the nation for war, but we must consider the country's present economic situation. The Philippines has a lower-middle-income economy and is still recovering from the effects of COVID-19. Mandatory military service was stopped in 1945 because of the lack of funds and resources.
Another issue is that one of the alleged reasons for making ROTC mandatory is to promote patriotism to- wards the youth. How will doing exercises and training help the youths be willing to fight for their country? Patriotism is when one loves their country so much that they are willing to fight for it. Key word: willing.
"The issue of patriotism is not simply learned by marching on the ground and carrying a rifle.” — Save Our Schools Network.
In this situation, do you think ROTC is a practice of the past or necessary for the future?
Story by Natalie Grace Chan
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