Holy Cross College of Carigara

Carigara, Leyte
A.Y. 2021-2022

G12 STUDENTS OF HCCC: PERCEPTIONS ABOUT THE PROPOSED

MANDATORY MILITARY SERVICE

A research paper presented to the Senior High School Department Of Holy Cross
College of Carigara

In fulfillment of the requirements in the subjects

Inquiries, Investigation, and Immersion and Work Immersion

Prepared by: 12-HUMSS A

Names
Benis, Alec Jops
Combinido, Gilda
Narido, Maxine Ella Mae
Vendiola, Marc John Patrick I.

February, 2022
 CHAPTER I
Introduction
Background of the Study
“The pen is mightier than the sword.” A saying that tells on how important are
the youth and their access to education into honing them to becoming respectful and
powerful individuals of the society. The pen symbolizes writing and learning how to
write means being educated but with the current crisis the country is facing right now,
education in the natural setting suddenly went wayward towards the shift to online
classes. Online classes proved to be a real struggle for students especially towards
those who are of belonging to the bottom of the societal class hierarchy, or to be
precise, the poorest of the poor. The children slash students coming from these types
of families were barely able to provide for their daily needs as a students and the
present state of education made it even dire for them to achieve the only thing that can
save them from their bothersome state-EDUCATION. “The effects of poverty on
education are numerous. Lack of access to technology is just one reason students are
struggling with distance learning. Eighty-five percent surveyed teachers said their
disengaged students did not have a parents or guardian who could oversee their
education during Distance Learning. This disproportionately affects students in
low-income households.” (Fowler, 2020)
With that being said and the elections being just around the corner,
improvements regarding education should be one of the priorities of all the aspiring
candidates of this country, however one candidate seem to be having other plans
regarding on what needs to be paid attention to and that candidate is no other than the
VP aspirant Sarah Duterte with her stand regarding the mandatory military service for
all the 18-year old Filipino youth, particularly those who are graduating from Senior
High School. What she said has earned a lot of praises and some criticisms especially
by the Filipino students in which is truly agreeable knowing that the present
educational situation proves to be a tough struggle for them. “Inaccessible education,
economic inequality, and widespread injustices are only some of the most prominent
problems our country is facing.” NUSP stressed. (Manila Bulletin News, 2022)
Most of these criticisms include about issues regarding on making the students
suffer even harder. Acquiring and continuing to study amidst the pandemic is quite a
struggle already and yet VP aspirant Sara Duterte aims for another heavy job for these
poor Filipino students and that is to undergo severe and immense mental and physical
torment of serving the troops. It is of no doubt that serving the armed forces is not
only tiring but it also painful, and that is part of the process but it is also important to
take into account that the students especially during these times have been all through
hell and back just to survive. The army requires both physical, mental, and emotional
fortitude among students and we all know how weak and vulnerable the students are
right now. Both forecasted and unseen records of suicide, suffering from anxiety and
depression are all the obstacles a student of the online learning are facing right now
and serving the troops because it is mandated would probably deal the deathblow for
these students. “Those who may be suffering from medical conditions, like anxiety,
cardiovascular diseases and cancer, will be forced to be sent as a draft. This will only
make matters worse if those people come to volunteer even if they are not physically
or even mentally fit.” (Miller, 2015).
It is highly understandable why a lot of the Filipino youth disagrees with what the
VP aspirant Sara Duterte wants especially knowing about the colorful history of
ROTC. Going back to records dating back to Mark Chua, a student of UST and how
his case that ended his life and career as a member of the university’s publishing body
by the hands of oppressive military officers greatly contributes to what it seems the
horrors of undergoing ROTC or if possible a mandatory military service. Yes, it is
indeed a beneficial form of training to prepare the youth of the State in defending our
country but not all means of weaponry isn’t the option available, we cannot fight fire
with fire always. “There are a lot of ways to kill a dog.” which implies that brewing
wars can also be solved peacefully and that is what education is built for, to shape the
minds of the youth of protecting and defending the country through peaceful yet
efficient means and only raise artillery when exactly needed. This country already had
it’s fair share of citizens already risking their lives and even dying in the hands of
incompetent military and police personnel during the oplan tokhang and adding up to
the possibilities of students dying or even taking their lives due to the pressures of
military training is just something this country could never bare to stand already. The
possibility of students taking their lives in case of serving the military is not far from
happening, if some students took their lives during the peak of online classes when
they are the comfort of their homes then how close is it also to happening when they
are at the mercy of the strict implementations of military training out there. Who
knows?
 “Forcing people to join the military can put the lives of the youth in grave
danger. The young soldiers can get killed not only in a battlefield, but also during
training.” (Miller, 2015)
The uncertainties of what will happen to the Filipino youth is the reason why this
study came to life. The researchers aim for this issue since it is relevant and would
probably enhance this country’s awareness regarding the voice of the youth especially
that the sphere of influence of the probable mandatory military service are now at of
age to vote, thus it is critical for the up and running candidates to hear what these
young voters has to say so as for them to emulate and comply to the needs of the
future caretakers of this country. This research would serve both as the medium for
the youth’s voices to stage whatever they feel or their stands regarding the possible
mandated military service especially during this time where educational attainment is
limited only to the privileged and as an assurance also for the country’s progress and
aim for democracy knowing that the future caretakers are being given equal chances
to contribute by making their voices heard for this country.

Statement of the Problem

The study centers on the perceptions of the G12 students of HCCC regarding the
imposed mandatory military service of VP aspirant Sara Duterte. This announcement
of the aspirant has brought upon numerous criticisms especially now that the country
is subjected to an educational crisis where students are negatively affected to the
demands of the new form of education, an education wherein is hard to grasp due to
social and economical discrimination towards the upper classes and those belonging
to the lower classes. With that being said, this research came to life because it wants
to address the problem faced by the students just to attain education when in fact it is
their privilege.
The study aims to delve deeper and give just criticisms regarding the possible
dangerous struggles of being subjected under the harsh environment of mandatory
military training. Having this kind of proclamation will and will never be ideal to the
Filipino youth of the contemporary times, the youth are already barely hanging on just
to comply with the demands of the new normal education, instead of forcing the youth
to undergo military training, their welfare and education should be the main focus of
the aspiring candidates’ platforms. Educational reforms should be the second to none
of this country’s officials priorities compared to putting them into military camps
without respecting their liberties as citizens of the state.
The reality behind being mandated to serve the military is not new already BUT it
shouldn’t be romanticized just to consider the youth as future protectors of the state. If
the VP aspirant is stressing the country’s need for valiant warriors of the state then
there are other forms of molding the youth-education. Education is vital in the
engineering of these future protectors of the state without compromising their
freedom to choose on which path they are gonna take. This country does not and will
never work accordingly if the decisions of the public especially the youth aren’t being
given importance, everyone is visible in the society and so as their views, and that is
the reality that this research is made for. This study gives equal importance to the
perceptions and views of the G12 students of HCCC regarding this issue since they
are the target proponents of the proposed mandatory military service.
As educated individuals themselves, the researchers are critical when it comes to
recognizing the views of their fellow students regarding the problem, yes the imposed
mandatory military service is a problem already knowing that it constrains the
Filipino youth’s freedom to choose their career paths to take. If they are controlled
then this society would be subjected to another era of dictatorship. If the Marcos
regime became a dictator to protect the country against communists and terrorists then
the aspirant herself would become another dictator-in-waiting, controlling the
freedom of this country’s future citizens of choosing what they want to do with their
lives. Not everyone is equally able in serving the troops and that’s why this research is
important, it not only addresses the issue itself but it also secures the privilege of the
target respondents’ freedom not only to choice but to expression.
Main Question:
 What do the G12 students of HCCC thinks about the mandatory military service?
Sub-questions:
 How many G12 SHS students of HCCC agrees/disagrees with the mandatory
military service?
 What are their reasons behind their agreement or disagreement to the mandatory
military service?
 Why military service should not be an obligation for all the 18-year old Filipino
youth?
Research Objectives:
The study aims to identify on what are the perceptions of the G12 students of
HCCC about the mandatory military service, it has the specific objectives:
 To know what is mandatory military service, it’s advantages and disadvantages to
the youth.
 To discuss the mandatory military service’s imposed dangers to the students of
the new normal education.
 To discuss the vital roles of the youth as being educated to finding peaceful
means of solving disputes without having to resort to serving the troops or being
trained to hold any forms of arms that promulgates bloodshed and violence.
 To discuss the importance of improving the educational crisis of the
contemporary students and making it as the top priority of aspiring candidates.
 To analyze why certain students perceive the mandatory military service in a
certain way they think it is.
 To explain clearly the roles of the youth not as a weapon of the state but as the
future caretakers of this country, helping it to progress and address issues in the
most peaceful way possible.

THEORETICAL/CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

MANDATORY MILITARY PERCEPTIONS OF TJE

SERVICE G12 STUDENTS OF HCCC

Fig.1 Illustration of how the perception of the G12 students of HCCC is affected by
the impeding proposed efficacy of the Mandatory military service.
In Figure 1, the diagram shows the perception of the G12 students of HCCC as
the dependent variable and the Mandatory military service as the independent variable.
It has been that way since the mandatory military service is the variable that would
have influence over the perceptions of the G12 students since perceptions of the G12
students of HCCC would vary depending on how they view the mandatory military
service. If either it is good or bad, the mandatory military service would still be
independent on it’s own and the way it is perceived by the target respondents is also
affected by itself.
The mandatory military service is what is constant throughout the research
because it is a naturally-occurring phenomenon in the world especially in countries
like South Korea, Greece, Egypt, and etcetera, it’s influence on the people depends
on it’s efficacy and the pros and cons it has given to these people that’s why it is an
independent variable. The way how the G12 students of HCCC would perceive it is
the dependent one since it is their personal reasons based solely on what they have
learned about it through research, online journals, articles, and even experiences,
hence their perceptions are dependent on what, how, and why the mandatory military
service is being imposed by the VP Presidential aspirant Sara Duterte.
In conclusion, the figure above tells how the Mandatory military service would
affect the perceptions of the G12 students of HCCC based on how much the
respondents know about it. Perceptions varies over time or as based on how much the
respondents have uncovered about it while the mandatory military service is absolute
since it is already applied on some countries of the globe, hence it’s influence is
independent and it’s implementation influences of how the youth or the target
respondents of the research would view it, if it would be beneficial or not for the
majority.
Research Hypothesis
According to what the researchers has shown in the theoretical and conceptual
framework, the researchers theorized that the data for this study which are the
perceptions of the G12 students of HCCC will be influenced by the independent
variable which is the mandatory military service which implies that the amount of
students who are in relation or not with the mandatory military service would be
indefinite since perceptions changes over time and it is dependent on how the students
understands the context of the mandatory military service, especially now that the
G12 students of HCCC are becoming more vocal and active in terms of their views
thus it is just safe to say that the reactions or results are still unknown as of this
moment but one thing is for sure, for the researchers and the respondents-the data
gathered from them would be a split between those who agrees and who does not and
the leading results still remains unidentified and that is what this study aims to find
out- the reasons or perceptions of the G12 students of HCCC regarding the mandatory
military service, if they are in favor of it or not.
 DEFINITION OF TERMS
 Mandatory Military service- compulsory enrollment of persons especially for
military service.
 Perceptions- a way of regarding, understanding, or interpreting something: a
mental impression.
 Well-educated- having had a good education.
 Dispute- a disagreement, argument, or debate.
 Military troops- a military sub-unit originally small formations of cavalry.
 Military reserve- a group of military personnel or units that is initially not
committed to a battle by it’s commander so that it remains available to address
unforeseen situations or exploit sudden opportunities.
 New normal education- refers to a modality where the students are taught via
ALMs (alternative learning modalities), printed or digital modules, online classes,
and radio-based or TV-based instructions.
 Patriotism-devotion to and vigorous support for one’s country.
 Nationalism-identification with one’s own nation and support for it’s interests,
especially to the exclusion or detriment of the interests of other nations.
 Civil Liberties- are guarantees and freedoms that governments commit not to
abridge, either by constitution, legislation, or judicial interpretation, without due
process.
 Compulsory- required by law or a rule; obligatory
 Citizens- the position or status of being a citizen of a particular country.
 Mandatory- required by law or rules; compulsory.
 Obligation-someone is required to do.
 Student- a person who is studying at a school and obliged to participate in
military training.
Significance of the Study
The researchers believe that this study will be helpful to the Grade 12 students
especially the 18 years old above who can experience the mandatory military service
in case Vice President aspirant Sarah Duterte wins. Hence, the readers or audience
may use this research as a guide on who to vote during the elections as this country’s
next Vice-President or if Sarah Duterte really is fitting to be a Vice-President based
on the data yielded of this research. If Sarah Duterte wins the youth may experience
the said mandatory military service which may be added to the gruesome tasks as both
a student at home, a son/daughter of the family, and as a trainee of the troops.
Juggling the two former roles is already a heavy and no mere task, how much more is
adding up the responsibility of being put under immense and harsh training? Thus,
this research is imperative not only on making the voices of the G12 students of
HCCC heard but also this would serve as a means of being able to vote wisely
especially now that the target respondents will be able to vote for this upcoming May
2022 elections.
This research is not biased, it would also cater to those respondents who favors
the mandatory military service. This research would help them have an overview of
what to expect on military training and be aware beforehand about the possible
fatalities they may experience when training to become a member of the Armed
Forces of the Philippines. Furthermore not only is this research friendly to both sides
it would also be able to help the G12 students of HCCC to somehow be able to make
informed choices in their lives because this research will help them gauge out their
critical thinking abilities on who to vote which would help them also decide on what
steps to take on their career path as future caretakers of this country. This research
gives significance to the youth especially to the target respondents which are the G12
students of HCCC because it gives them the validation that they need as future
caretakers of the nation. The underlying social value being tackled by this research is
about the citizen’s sense of nationalism and patriotism thus it would help the
respondents to have a tight grip on their sense of identity as future able Filipinos of
leading and helping this country to progress.
Aside from catering those students who is in favor and not on the mandatory
military service, this research would also help those who still doesn’t have a clear idea
of what is the mandatory military service and how it works, this is the vital role of this
research and it’s importance, it gives all the G12 student of HCCC a chance to be able
to get to have a grasp not only about the area of knowledge being studies by this
research but it also allows them to see past through the current facade of the elections
and towards the real issues of the Philippine society, their education, roles as voters,
and citizens. Lastly, this research would also somehow benefit the institution in a
sense that the alma mater would be given a certain acknowledgement for producing
students who are exceptional thinkers and are fit to becoming able citizens of the
country in the nearby future. “Ang Kabataan ang pag-asa ng bayan.” Jose Rizal
quoted.
Scope and limitation of the Study
The scope of the study entitled G12 students of HCCC: Perceptions about the
proposed mandatory military service will focus on the G12 students of HCCC’s
opinions or perceptions and how they would be able to react about the mandatory
military service as proposed by the running Vice-Presidential candidate Sara Duterte.
The target levels for this study are only limited to the grade 12 respondent of Holy
Cross College of Carigara of the academic year 2021-2022.
 CHAPTER II

Review of Related Literature

“Inaccessible education, economic inequality, and widespread injustices are

only some of the most prominent problems our country is facing.” NUSP stressed.

(Manila Bulletin News, 2022). The announcement of the VP aspirant Sara Duterte

has fanned the flames of controversial issues especially by the students of this country

that would be affected by it. They stressed of how untimely and imprudent it is for the

VP aspirant to propose a mandatory military service knowing that the country’s

educational system is facing a huge setback right now in the times of the pandemic

wherein attainable education is not really realized by the government. Poverty of

about 17.6 million Filipinos as estimated by PSA last 2018 implies that the children of

these households struggles to meet their basic needs, and now that education has

shifted to online learning where access to technology is a must, these children

belonging to the aforementioned percentage would’ve sunken further to the quagmire.

Thus, it is just understandable why the NUSP (National Union of Students of the

Philippines) has criticized greatly the announcement of VP aspirant Sara Duterte, not

only is education limited due to social differences but it is already an engine that

entails discrimination among those who can afford to waste money on technological

perks of the new form of education compared to those who cannot.

Mandatory military service is actually a bad thing, why? It demoralizes the

democratic virtue of the society-freedom of choice, from the world alone “mandatory”

it restricts the students on their ability to decline the invitation of the government to

serve the troops because whether they like it or not, if they are qualified or not still

they are and will be mandated to serve the Philippine troops. Freedom is the

underlying essence of why the Philippines is a republican-democratic country,

because it gives priority to the voices of the Filipino people, now that the youth are

being mandated then that privilege of being given significance to show one’s choices

won’t be realized anymore, rather it would be the start of a new form of government,

dictatorship maybe? No, that is far from happening but if VP aspirant Sara Duterte

would continue on pursuing what she has proposed then probably she would be

criticized for it by the youth of this country especially those who have suffered

greatly in their quest for educational continuity amidst several obstacles.

Education is the most important thing to be improved by this government, it has

been ranked worldwide that the Philippines ranks 27th among the 79 countries based

on their comprehension levels based on the research conducted by the international

education company, Education First (EF) which means that the educational system in

the Philippines continues to sunk further and this issue needs to be prioritized, in

order to raise global competitiveness, education reforms is a MUST especially by

political aspirants aiming for the high seats of the government. With education being

rich-friendly or are only attainable by those of the upper classes then it is just right to

say that improvements needed to be taken for education is what this country needs to

address because if the youth is engineered to be mentally able and are exceptional

critical thinkers then possible disputes with neighboring countries would be

counteracted easily with peaceful measures.

Being a citizen of the country is not marked by one’s will of risking their lives

rather it is seen by how much people can do for this country to maintain it’s peaceful

relationships and processes among other countries and within itself. Furthermore, the

welfare of the citizens are what should be prioritized and that can be done by honing

them to be well-educated about addressing issues peacefully and with no damages.

 “Forcing people to join the military can put the lives of the youth in grave

danger. The young soldiers can get killed not only in a battlefield, but also

during training.” (Miller, 2015). The purpose of why military forces are essential

it’s because of their huge role in protecting not only the country but also the lives of

the citizens. Their duty is heavily engraved in their hearts as protectors and advocates

of peace and national welfare thus it is just understandable why the VP aspirant wants

to use as much manpower for this initiative. After all, no one can only help the

country except for it’s own citizens, however it it a must-do to put into mind that

military training is not student-friendly and it will never be. Military training involves

a lot of physical, mental, and sometimes even emotional pressure out of those who

aspires to be a part of the military forces and not everyone can endure it. A lot of

considerations should be examined when this so-called mandatory military service is

put to effect. One of these considerations is if it would contribute to safekeeping the

welfare of the very own people that these military forces are protecting in the first

place.

One of the biggest benefits of serving the military troops is that it would help aid

the country in the future from possible conflicts that may result to wars and military

manpower would be addressed immediately, however let us put into mind that the

citizens aren’t just mere pawns that needs to be controlled and put in front of the

enemy line and risk their lives to protect the country, that’s not how nationalism or

patriotism works. The love for this country is not only emulated by being ready to risk

one’s own life, rather it is best expressed on how eager a government officer is to

address issues peacefully and not force it’s citizens to always think of resorting to

bloody conflicts just to protect peace, yes wars are inevitable but it is not humane to

force unwilling individuals to suffer from the harsh environment of military training.
Not everyone can do it, and that is important. That’s the way of life, no two persons

are the same.

Military training is HARD. No doubt with that and students especially during

these time of crisis are very fragile because of a lot of hardships they have to undergo

just to survive the new educational setting and the VP aspirant Sara Duterte should

be aware of this, if she wants to help this country then she should better focus on

preserving the lives of this country’s future holders than sending them off to camps

where a lot of unprecedented fatalities would be harbored by these students especially

death from training accidents.

As sinister as it might sound but records of students dying on-training than in the

battlefield aren’t new already in fact, in the US, military troops die most not on the

battlefield but during training operations because of fatal injuries and unforgiving

nature of military training. According to the article of CNN in 2019, “Between 2006

and 2018, 31.9% of active-duty military deaths were results of accidents, according to

a congressional report updated last month. By comparison, 16.3% of service members

who died during that time were killed in action. And a large majority of those

accidents occurred in circumstances unrelated to combat deployments.” There, there it

is, a glaring proof that much to how the VP aspirant envisions a country full of

military reserves, her plan could become the cause of death of these poor Filipino

youth just to comply to her mandated military service.

Putting a helpless and juvenile bunny in a meadow infested with wolves won’t

help that bunny to become strong, rather it could make get killed, same as to how

students who should be learning be put in military training won’t help them get better.

Lives are at stake here and lives of the citizens are what this country should be aiming

to protect- that is true love for the country, protecting it’s inhabitants from harm.
 “Those who may be suffering from medical conditions, like anxiety,

cardiovascular diseases and cancer, will be forced to be sent as a draft. This will

only make matters worse if those people come to volunteer even if they are not

physically or even mentally fit.” (Miller, 2015). Yes military training would help in

strengthening this country’s forces however if the very people of these forces are frail

and weak then how can they be able to contribute in the fortification of this state’s

defense and protective military personnel? And this is why not everyone is in favor of

the mandatory military training, not only is it contradictory to the concept of freedom

but it is also not available for those who aren’t fit in all aspects to serve the military.

The people especially the youth are the tomorrow of the country and that is their

welfare is of utmost priority during these times. Yes it is also taken that things are

changing, with Russia and Ukraine on the brink of war, it is just right to assume that

we will also be affected and that’s why the increase in military power is needed

however if the production of future military personnel are mandated which means it

won’t consider the factors that won’t make the youth legible to serve the military but

is still forced to do so then that is the problem.

The youth won’t die protecting and fighting for the country rather they would die

due to their inabilities to train under military supervision. If this country wants to have

an envisioned future where there are future competent leaders also then the mandatory

military service shouldn’t be introduced in the first place, instead of being mandatory,

it should be voluntary or there would only be certain criteria or skills competencies or

health-related factors to be considered first before allowing the youth especially the

18-year old Filipinos to enter into military training. Nothing is bad with military

training however, being forced to undergo through it is what makes it bad. Everything

that is forced contradicts this country’s legacy of being a republican-democrat. A

country that has concern over it’s future would know the vital roles of the youth’s

freedom and privilege to choose whatever they want especially if it means that they

have to decline a forced order of serving the troops because they have more than

enough valid reasons to do so. And as future government leaders, the candidates

should put heavy stress to health care, educational reforms, and other factors of the

society that would increases the state’s citizens’ welfare and security, and one way

also to have fully functioning soldiers slash protectors is by making sure that these

youth are more than ready to undergo military training, in order to fight valiantly as

warriors of the mother Philippines then these youth shouldn’t be forced and that they

are more than fit to be one, that’s just the secret to a powerful country in terms of

military and weaponry.

“Health is wealth.” which implies that above all things, the health of an individual

is the greatest treasure one should take good care of, a possession that needs to be

kept good at all times and once this virtue is disregarded because of being mandated ti

choose an option that negates freedom to preserve one’s own health then no citizen

would be able to function fully as future stewards of the nation. The reason why

humankind has been flourishing throughout the years is because of the mutual

objective of preserving the welfare of every individual. There are people who are

more than willing to become warriors so there is no need to make military service as

mandatory because judging from how the millennials are active in voicing out their

political stands then for sure there are also millennials out there that are more than

ready to present themselves to the service of national protection.

Nothing good comes out of forcing things to happen, instead letting things go the

way they are like giving the youth their freedom to submit and undergo military

training fosters the spring of a brighter future for this nation’s welfare and protection!
 “We welcome the proposal as this is attuned to the times while the

government is faced with adversities and challenges, aligned with our aspirations

for the citizenry to contribute to nation-building.” -AFP spokesperson Col. Ramon

Zagala (Nepomuceno, 2022). With Russia and Ukraine now in the brink of a war, the

stakes of the Philippines getting dragged again is set at the highest bar of possibility

since we are after all, an ally of the U.S. and with the U.S supporting Ukraine, Russia

has more than enough reason to retaliate, the U.S. and Russia have long been two

warring superpowers in history, from space race, breakthroughs in technology, and

the likes, they are the world’s biggest competitors and any affiliations with these two

superpowers would surely result to them getting dragged and forced to join any

retaliations or uprisings these two opposing forces may take and that also includes the

Philippines. The VP aspirant’s view is actually quite understandable, she just wants

the Filipinos to be more than ready in addressing conflicts and to not repeat the

history of the country being subjected to oppression because of the lack in military

prowess. Sara Duterte envisions a Philippines where it has a lot of normal citizens but

are actually capable reserves for addition in military power, something that this

country lacked in the previous administrations.

The Filipinos are known in the past for being brave warriors, capable of risking

their lives for the nation, notable Filipinos include Gabriela Silang, Melchora Aquino,

Juan Luna, and etc. All are Filipino icons for bravery and nationalism since they all

have fought for freedom against the oppressive occupation of the Spanish regime and

that is what the VP aspirant wants to instill to the Filipino youth, the importance of

being brave and more than ready to offer one’s self for the service of the Philippines

to advocate for it’s peace and protection, the Filipino youth are considered as the

bearers of tomorrow and by being so it is just right to assume that they are also
engineered or honed rather to becoming brave men of the country who are not only

skilled but also has a strong sense of moral and legal justice and also nationalism.

After all, as fellow countrymen, one must be willing to give and contribute their

all for the betterment of the country, a betterment that the past Filipino warriors have

been fighting for, independence and of course sovereignty, yes this is also another

reason why Sara Duterte wants to maximize the numbers of military personnel, to also

gain control over the country’s external territories. If the neighboring countries like

China cannot respect the nation’s hold over it’s land then fear in terms of military

prowess is the only way, which can only be done by giving the youth, learning,

experiences, and even the discipline of becoming a military troop reserve.

Also, being one of the military reserves greatly benefits not only the country but

also the entire progress of development of an individual, the military training forces

these youth to undergo training that involves a lot of pressures in order to refine their

moral principles in life, as brave and strict personnel exercising power and control

over the country which is the Philippines, being trained under military service is

something that is more of a privilege than a burden since military service entails

training that aren’t only true to life but are also essential in building one’s own

identity as a Filipino citizen willing to contribute to building the nation that is not

only progressive but it also a secured and well-protected and is more than ready to

engage when needed.

The real word is unforgiving and that is what military training wants to instill to

the minds of the youth, to toughen up their outside shells and remain with a soft-heart

for the service of the Filipino and the Philippines. The Philippines is being overlooked

because it is only a chain of islands but together, this country shall move forward and

it’s citizens, ready to take on and engage for security of the Philippine society.
 “The mandatory military service was helpful in detecting certain diseases

whose diagnosis would otherwise be delayed or undetected.” (N. Cavalli, S.

Boccia, L.Giraldi, M.Mariani, W. Ricciardi, and C. Nicodemo, 2020). Before

entering the military training certain health tests are first conducted so as to ensure

that the young military personnel are fit to undergo the demanding nature of military

training. In this study conducted by the researchers, they have found a significant

decrease of hospital admissions of those young males from Italy who underwent

military training especially that the sickness or possible diseases harbored by these

young males were immediately discovered during the screening for military service

and were immediately addressed making them visit the hospital for actual admissions

less often. A total of 215,081 males born in 1985 and 210, 616 for those who were

born in 1987 were admitted to hospitals during the period 2007-2017 which indicates

a decreasing trend from 2007 to 2017 in overall hospitalization rates were observed

for both cohorts of 1987 (1.26-1.15) and 1985 (1.22-1.13). The regression model

showed a significant lower probability for the 1985 cohort, respect to the 1987 of

being admitted for an infectious or parasite disease and tumours. Thus, by looking at

the numerical data presented above, mandatory military service has a lasting positive

impact for the health of those individuals who wants to undergo through it, initial

screenings courtesy of these kinds of training helps in detecting diseases prior to

hospitalization which reduces health care costs and the possibility of dying in the

camp due to the symptoms of the disease manifesting during training.

In conclusion, aside from external benefits obtained from undergoing military

training it also has internal benefits, military training health care screening grants

these individuals to evade from spending a lot for hospitalization fees while at the

same time granting them the experience they need as valiant citizens of the nation.
 “Mandatory military service or military conscription is a strategy used by

countries to build a large and powerful military, ready to be deployed in times of

war or when the need to protect the sovereignty of the state arises.” (Regoli,

2018). Mandatory military service is a controversial topic, and many objections have

been raised against it on both religious and political grounds. This leads us to the

question, the people ask if is compulsory conscription a good thing or a bad thing.

Vice President aspirant Sarah Duterte said that if she wins this upcoming May 2022

elections she will impose a mandatory military service to all the 18 year old male and

female students of the country.She explained that her proposal is not like the Reserve

Officers’ Training Corps that her father, President Rodrigo Duterte also wanted to be

revived but did not materialize as a mandatory subject, nor would it be a month-long

training or for weekends. There are a lot of advantage and disadvantages on a military

service. These are the some examples advantages of military service; Promotes

National Unity, where the mandatory military service can promote unity on a national

scale.

Furthermore, it allows citizens to learn and train together, creating that shared

experience of having served in the military. Then there is also that general

understanding of what life in the army is like, what is required of the job, and what

has to be done in order to protect the country. Citizens are able to understand and

develop appreciation for the sacrifices that people in the military made for the country.

And all of these can bring people together, especially when dealing with a cultural or

political threat from other nations. The training provided goes far beyond the

technical skills needed to get the job done. Many military volunteers who have

pursued a career in the civilian workplace mentioned several other skills and

work-related attitudes that help them well in their job. These include teamwork,
responsibility, initiative, stress management, diversity, and global awareness. Others

learn the habits of healthy living and discipline as well as the skills in self-defense.

Mentioned are just some advantages of the mandatory military service however, there

are also some disadvantages about the mandatory military service.

The Government puts young people’s lives at risk.Though it very uncustomary to

think about it in that way, it’s actually a part of the process; putting young people’s

lives at risk. Casualties don’t just happen in actual combat or in the battle field but

also during training

Mandatory military service, which normally enlists able-bodied young people,

puts the next generation to serious harm and, at worst, death.The interruptions with

other forms of education is also one of the disadvantage of mandatory military service.

Mandatory military service typically drafts young men and women when they are at

the peak of their learning ability. This delays individuals’ pursuit for higher education

as well as their entry into the into the civilian labor market, reducing returns to human

capital investments as a result.

Vice President Aspirant Sarah Duterte stated that she will be having a mandatory

military service, which is difficult for the students to accept. As 18-year-old studen,ts,

the researchers themselves are 50/50 on that idea or for the training program that Vice

President Aspirant Sarah Duterte would like to impose.. Aside from the difficulty for

them to accept that there will be a mandatory military service. , there are also other

numerous reasons why the students cannot accept this, one of which is that they are

unable to focus on there studies, making it extremely difficult for them to achieve

their own individual goals or their pursuit for the profession they want. Aside from

that, the lives of the students will also be put at risk. Overall, the implementation of

mandatory military service still has lots of things to consider for it to be effective.
 “Instead of giving a blank check for counter-insurgency, the state should

provide better funding to health, educational, artistic, sports, and cultural

institutions so that young Filipinos can participate in a wide variety of fruitful

activities without the looming presence of the military,” Lakan Umali said. (The

Post Net Ph News 2022). Everyone’s talking about Davao City mayor Sara

Duterte-Carpio’s plan to push for mandatory military service for Filipinos if ever she

wins the vice-presidential race this May. Pushing for mandatory military service amid

the pandemic and economic crisis is impractical and inhumane. Our country should

prioritize the quality of education, poverty, health care, and this pandemic.

Duterte-Carpio also cited South Korea and Israel as examples of countries that require

their citizen to render military service. According to her, the Reserve Officer’s

Training Corps (ROTC) program that Philippine schools offer isn’t enough. There are

many Filipinos speak up through social media. Duterte-Carpio’s proposal wasn’t well

received on social media, especially on Twitter where younger Filipinos are. This

caused the topic to trend on the platform.

According to many Twitter users, more pressing problem such as the Covid-19

pandemic should be addressed first. They voiced out how mandatory military service

would be yet another burden to families who are counting on younger family

members to join the workforce in order to get by. “But imagine graduating senior high

school then going to the military because it’s mandatory rather than focusing on our

future of course. It just gives us extra stress and most students only dream of finishing

college and getting decent-paying jobs for their families. Mandatory service is not an

answer,” a tweet in English and Filipino read. Meanwhile, others pointed out that

parents who agree with mandatory military service to discipline the youth should

remember that it’s their responsibility to raise their children well.

 “There is a lot of studies that there is also a advantage on military service.

The students will learn a lot of skills like self-defense, and it also discipline to all

the students who go on that training.” Hence, having a discipline to the students

will lead them into a unity. Unity is of also important for society as well as the whole

country. Therefore, it is standing together for every thick and thin matter. There are

many stories as well as real-life incidences have proved that unity always leads a

harmonious and fulfilling life for all.

If the students will practice unity, students or the trainees will love their nation as

well as their fellow citizens. Therefore, it is the fact that they would be able to grow

with a better lifestyle and also it will lead to national development.And it is very

obvious that Military service has a large advantage on the country because it's

possible for a nation to develop and maintain in peace, military training will lead us

into peace.

Benefits on the macro-level of the mandatory military service includes national

unity and strengthening the armed forces by adding up additional military personnel

so as to further increase the stakes of manpower, artillery, and also the chances of

being on par with the superpowers or powerful countries in terms of amount of

military men would also heighten, thus putting the Philippines back in the map, not

considered as a product of colonization but as a country that is able to stand and

protect it’s own. This type of mandatory military service has proven to be effective in

protecting the state's sovereignty and expanding its territory. Consider the Qin

Empire's conquest of a large portion of what is now China, or France's ability to

defend itself against European monarchies during the French Revolution in the late

16th century. However, the impact on enlisted youth, military service quality, the

labor market, future generations, and others should all be carefully evaluated.
The promotion of democratic values, obedience, and discipline may also decrease

post-service crime by focusing men at this high risk age. Exposure to weapons

and desensitisation to violence, however, could exacerbate criminal tendencies

(Grossman 1995).

Conscription may have an impact on crime by affecting educational and labor

market outcomes. If employers see conscription as a good sign of quality, or if it

enhances a young man's marketable talents, health, or physical fitness, it will reduce

crime. However, if conscription disrupts a continuous educational path, delays entry

into the labor market, and limits future labor market chances, post-service criminality

may rise. Depending on the relative qualities of the new and old peer groups, intense

exposure to new peers during service may have either beneficial or negative

consequence. Military service and how they are viewed varies among how individuals

perceive it to be, for some it is beneficial and of great help in terms of national unity

and self-discipline while for the others may not, like for example as what was show in

the literature review, a conscription or the mandatory military service can alter an

individual’s pursuit of educational path and it can never get more accurate since the

VP aspirant wants to impose this towards the 18-year old Filipino youth and these

people are still pursuing their dreams of entering and going into college to pursue

their professions and quest for academic excellence hence when they are controlled

from attaining this kind of privilege it might lead to dire consequences.

However, the effects are still subject to those who have been in the military

services compared to those who haven’t which then leads to the conclusion that

military service can ether benefit the others who wants it or favors it and on the

contrary, make those who aren’t still ready for it to suffer the consequences entailed

with military service- the students who are still inexperienced.

 Angrist’s (1990) seminal study found that Vietnam draftees in the US had

lower earnings than non-draftees. Subsequent papers (Angrist and Chen 2011,

Angrist et al. 2011) find that this gap closes over time, so that by age 50 draftees

are on par with non-draftees. There is some evidence that conscription causes an

increase in violent crimes among Vietnam veterans in the US (Rohlfs 2010, Lindo

and Stoecker 2012), though this is not seen amongst Australian veterans

(Siminski et al. 2016).

The effects of peacetime conscription are similarly mixed: no effect on wages in

Britain and Germany (Grenet et al. 2011, Bauer et al. 2012), a negative effect in

Holland and for high-ability men in Denmark (Imbens and van der Klaauw 1995,

Bingley et al. 2014), and a positive effect for low-educated men in Portugal (Card and

Cardoso 2012). Galiani et al. (2011) find that conscription increases crime in

Argentina, while Albaek et al. (forthcoming) find that service reduces property crime

among Danish men with previous convictions.

What could account for such a wide range of results?For starters, conscription's

impact may shift with time.Focusing on crime after age 40, as some prior studies have

done, may bias the results for an outcome like crime, which peaks as a young adult.

Second, the 'experience' of conscription differs substantially between research, while

the most obvious distinction is between conscription during peacetime and

conscription during wartime, as countries near the conclusion of their mandatory

conscription systems, other distinctions may arise. Third, changes in how the causal

influence is detected may be related to measurable difference, because of the rigorous

selection procedure involved in military service, it is impossible to compare outcomes

between individuals who serve and those who do not. Positive or negative effect, still

it lies on how the individuals think of military service, for the benefit or not.
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