TOL VIEWS

Our shared advocacy for military service training among the youth has indeed made commendable strides – the recent Philippine ROTC Games 2023 being one of the most significant headways so far. While mandatory ROTC continues to gain the approval of the general population – rising up from the negative connotation of being a tool for bullying and aggression, I likewise see the need to re-brand ROTC, so to speak, in a way that it does not only prepare young Filipinos for military service in the event of war and outside territorial invasion. The re-branding of ROTC should likewise include the development of a military training program which builds and prepares young men and women for engagement in civic action, for disaster preparedness and response, for holistic youth development, for higher and more complex leadership roles in the future. 

Of course, we do not wish to create the impression that we are preparing our youth to go to war. Filipinos have always been, and I think will remain, a peace-loving race. Senate Bill 2034 is anchored on the development of values that are the foundation of building a better, stronger nation. In the achievement of this shared goal, the idealistic, patriotic, disciplined, responsible Filipino youth shall take the most important role. My advocacy for mandatory ROTC training for college student’s rests on the same premise that our national hero Dr. Jose Rizal firmly believed – “Ang kabataan ang pag-asa ng bayan.” 

The relevance of ROTC in youth development and nation-building has never been clearer than now. It plays a critical role in shaping future leaders who will steer the Philippines and keep it on the road to progress, prosperity and peace. ROTC can, and will, transform young Filipinos into more active and more engaged agents of inclusivity and positive change. ROTC, as a catalyst for change and development, can help address the growing indifference of young people to the threats and challenges we confront as a people and as a nation.

The higher goal pursued in the ROTC remains the development of positive values among our youth, encouraging them to engage in nation-building through civic participation, volunteerism and service. As future leaders, young Filipinos should be shaped and formed not only in body, but more so in character. Apart from building physical strength, ROTC builds the strength of character of our young cadets, instilling in them the positive values of honor, integrity, justice, discipline, obedience, and patriotism, among many others. 

It is with high hopes that greater public support and recognition of ROTC as a highly potent tool for the physical and moral development of the youth will continue to inspire young people to be partners for national growth and development.