Malacañang on Saturday urged male civilians to enlist in the Reserve Command (RESCOM) of the Armed Forces of the Philippines to help the government fast-track humanitarian efforts in time of disasters.

“We encourage the people, lalo na yung mga abled bodies, mga professionals, na magpa-enlist [in the Reserve Command] of the AFP para makatulong naman tayo lalo na sa mga nakikita nating disasters,” Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said.

Remonde lamented that since the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) became a non-compulsory course in college, there are only a few who take up ROTC.

“Kaunti lang [ang enlisted to the reserved command], lalo na nung tinanggal ang ROTC,” he said.

“Magpa-enlist sa reserve command, balang araw makakatulong tayo,” Remonde urged.

It will be recalled that due to the extensive damage brought by successive typhoons in late September and October, the international community had to send some of its own personnel to conduct humanitarian aid in the country as the government zeroed in on rescue, relief and rehabilitation efforts in typhoon-stricken areas in Luzon.

Among the roles of the Army Reserve Command (ARESCOM) include disaster rescue and relief and community service aside from conventional and unconventional warfare, anti-guerilla operations, combat support and service support, and training.

The ROTC program in the Philippines began in 1912 and is designed to train for the purposes of leadership, development, problem solving, strategic planning and professional ethics. The ROTC was a prerequisite for graduation among male college students until 2002, when the National Service Training Program (NSTP) was signed into law.

Under the said law, females are no longer exempted from the program.

However, college students would have a choice to take Literary Training Services or Civic Warfare Service instead of ROTC.