P3PWD Party-list nominee Rowena Guanzon disagrees with Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr.'s claim that the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program can help "cure" mental health problems among Filipino youth.
"Mental health prolems cannot be cured by more stress and physical strain," Guanzon tweeted on Monday afternoon, Feb. 6.
"In fact it can make things worse for the person with a disabili," she added. Guanzon's party-list stands for Komunidad ng Pamilya Pasyente at Persons with Disabilities (P3PWD).
The tweet was in reference to Galvez's statement Monday wherein the latter said that mental health problems could be cured by ROTC training since it can heighten one's "frustration tolerance".
Lawmakers are currently pushing for the return of ROTC for Filipino students, although it could come under a different name.
Last December, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed on third and final reading House Bill (HB) No.6687.
The bill is officially titled “An Act Instituting a National Citizens Service Training Program (NCSTP) in All Public and Private Tertiary Education Institutions, Repealing for the Purpose Republic Act (RA) No.9163, Otherwise Known as the National Service Training Program Act”.
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It calls for the establishment of a two-year NCSTP that will be mandatory for all students enrolled in undergraduate degree programs in all public and private higher education institutions (HEIs), including those enrolled in technical-vocational education and training (TVET) programs or courses of Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
For Guanzon, ROTC should only be an option.
"Make ROTC an option , not mandatory," she wrote.