The strong July 27 earthquake that jolted Luzon provinces has bolstered President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s resolve to push for the return of the mandatory Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) in high school.
In his weekly vlog, Marcos said bringing back ROTC would not only train high school students on national defense preparedness, but also for disaster response and emergency management.
“Mas marami rin tayong maihahanda na sibilyan para sa mga ganitong disaster response sa pamamagitan ng ROTC program dahil hindi lang naman national defense ang tinuturo sa kanila kundi disaster preparedness and capacity building para dito nga sa tinatawag na risk-related situations na itinuturo sa kanila (We will be able to prepare civilians in these kind of disaster response through ROTC program because it is not only teaching about national defense but also disaster preparedness and capacity building for risk-related situations),” he said.
The President reaffirmed his intention to revive the ROTC program in high school after a magnitude-7.0 earthquake struck northern Luzon last July 27, leaving at least five people dead and causing massive damage to infrastructure, houses, and livelihoods.
Marcos said while Filipinos are naturally caring and always ready to help others in times of disasters, those who respond to calamities must be properly trained and equipped with knowledge and skills in disaster response.
He likewise noted that Filipinos must always be prepared in times of emergency, given that the Philippines is situated along the Pacific Ring of Fire and the so-called typhoon belt, which makes it highly vulnerable to disasters and other extreme weather disturbances fueled by climate change.
The Chief Executive declared the ROTC program among senior high schools as one of the priority measures of his administration in his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 25.
It came as a backing for the Mandatory ROTC and National Service Training Program (NSTP) Bill pushed by Vice President Sara Duterte which seeks to reinstitute the ROTC program as a mandatory component of senior high school programs in Grades 11 and 12 in all public and private tertiary level educational institutions.
In his six-minute vlog, Marcos also reiterated that the country must also build “disaster-proof” communities and make the country more resilient to disasters.
Several cultural and heritage sites in Abra and Ilocos Sur were severely damaged from the tremor, including centuries-old churches such as the Tayum Church and Sta. Catalina de Alexandria Church, the Vigan Cathedral, the Bantay Bell Tower, and the iconic Calle Crisologo in Vigan.