Ilocos Norte students welcome mandatory ROTC revival

By Leilanie G. Adriano

Staff Reporter

LAOAG CITY—Several Ilocos Norte youth is supporting the revival of the mandatory Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program for senior high school students.

For 25-year-old Moyra Colobong of the Ilocos Norte National High School, she said the Philippines need to strengthen its defenses and one way of doing so is to utilize its available resources by training the young to undergo reserved officers’ training course.

“This is a stepping stone for us to strengthen our defenses, learn to follow rules and become disciplined,” said Ms. Colobong as she admitted kids these days are becoming hard-headed or out of control due to so many reasons.

Like Ms. Colobong, Marian Sidly Madamba, 17, also observed these misbehaviors from fellow youth hence, with the revival of ROTC, she hopes the rigid training will make them more responsible individuals.

At first, Samuel Guzman, 18, of Brgy. 8, Laoag City, said he was hesitant to support the mandatory ROTC because trainees are expected to cut their hair short but he said he was eventually convinced ROTC is important for survival.

Though he is not inclined to pursue a career in the military, Ian Villanueva, 18, of Brgy. 5, Vintar, Ilocos Norte said, “We need to have a military training as young as we are because of growing threats from other countries. When things come to worst, at least we are prepared.”

Even officials of the Department of Education agree to this as Secretary Leonor Briones once said, “We cannot be relying on other countries to defend us. So, we have to rely on ourselves.”

The Duterte-backed military training requires both male and female students, except those who are physically or psychologically fit to undergo a two-year mandatory ROTC to produce well-trained and prepared reservists for military and civic service.

It may be recalled the mandatory ROTC was abolished in 2002 after the death of University of Santo Tomas student Mark Chua. His killing was linked to his exposé on the anomalies in the training corps.

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