MANILA, Dec. 2 (PNA) — Once the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) is resurrected, all trainees will not only undergo military training for defense but they will also be trained for disaster mobilization.
This was stressed on Monday by Muntinlupa Rep. Rodolfo Biazon after he heard the support of different groups who were invited during the joint committee hearings of the House committees on National Defense and Security and Higher and Technical Education.
“The possibility of resurrecting ROTC is highly possible based on our own assessment after we received numerous supports from all concerned,” Biazon told reporters after the hearing.
His co-chair, A-Teacher Party-list Rep. Mariano Piamonte said there are five bills needed to be consolidated: House Bill No. 144 authored by Cavite Rep. Francis Gerard Abaya, HB 522 authored by Rep. Biazon, HB 1720 authored by Bohol Rep. Erico Aristotle Aumentado, HB 2338 authored by Valenzuela City Rep. Sherwin Gatchalian, and HB 3143 penned by Kabataan Rep. Terry Ridon.
In a position letter sent to the committee by Commission on Higher Education Chairman Patricia Licuanan, she said that she fully supports the resurrection of ROTC, claiming that it is high time to reinvent ROTC by injecting additional training like disaster preparedness.
She also said in her letter that she is supporting the resurrection only in all tertiary schools controlled by national and local government units.
Students in the private schools, Licuanan said, will continue exercising the menu under the National Service Training Program but they will consider if the school wants to implement ROTC as an alternative of community services under the program.
This was also supported by the military in inactive service, saying they need young warm bodies to continue the program. Their representatives told the committee during the hearing that they do not want the program to die naturally just because there is no more manpower to speak of.
They added that they will help in the training of the next generation of young cadets who will later be part of the renewed ROTC and later join the club. (PNA)