About 68 percent of Filipinos agree with the plan to pursue the reinstitutionalization of the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) for those who are at least 18 years old, according to the results of the OCTA Research survey released on Tuesday, Jan. 17.

The 4th Quarter of 2022 Tugon ng Masa Survey, conducted from Oct. 23 to 27 with 1,200 adults respondents nationwide, is an independent and non-commissioned poll regularly conducted by OCTA Research.

In this survey, the respondents were asked: “Sumasang-ayon ka ba sa plano na gawing mandatory ang Reserve Officers’ Training Corps para sa mga Pilipinong 18 taong gulang pataas? (Do you agree with the plan to make the ROTC mandatory for Filipinos 18 years old and above?)”

OCTA found that 68 percent of respondents are in favor of mandatory ROTC for Filipinos 18 years old and above, while about 28 percent are against such a plan.

It noted that agreement on the plan to make ROTC mandatory for Filipinos at least 18 years old was highest among respondents in Mindanao (75 percent), while it was lowest among those in Metro Manila (64 percent).

Moreover, 82 percent of Filipinos belonging to the socio-economic class ABC agree with the plan to make ROTC mandatory for Filipinos who are at least 18 years old.

“Conversely, 31 percent of adult Filipinos belonging to socio-economic class D don’t agree with such plan,” OCTA said.

Furthermore, agreement with the plan to make ROTC mandatory is highest among Filipinos 18 to 24 years old (83 percent).

However, OCTA pointed out that disagreement on the issue is “quite high” among 45-to-54-year-old Filipinos and over 75-year-olds, each with 39 percent.

The mandatory ROTC requirement among male college students was abolished in 2002 following the passage of Republic Act (RA) 9163 or the National Service Training Program (NSTP) Act of 2001.

ROTC, which is one of the components of NSTP, became optional and voluntary for male and female college students under the law.

RA 9163 was passed following the killing of University of Santo Tomas (UST) student and ROTC cadet officer Mark Welson Chua by his fellow cadet officers after he exposed the practices of corruption, bribery, and extortion in the school’s ROTC.